Meet The Warblers
by Boston Anonymous
Summary: Logan gets a scholarship to attend Dalton Academy, escaping the difficulties of the life he left behind. While at Dalton, chaos ensues...and Logan's never been happier. Crossover of GleexBTR Kogan/Jarlos/Klaine
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Do not own BTR boys or company.**

**Pairings: Kogan/Jarlos/Klaine**

**Warnings: Swearing/boy x boy.**

**Note 1: So for some reason FFN didn't acknowledge this story, so I had to take it down and repost it. I apologize to that person who reviewed, FFN wouldn't let me see it. I appreciate the review, and if you want to leave another one I would love to hear from you. Thank you for doing so.**

**Note 2: I will finish _Dressed Up in Love_, as well as finish working on _Proof of Love_, the sequel to _Love's Labours_. I've just been dying to get this chapter out there for the longest time, and once I finish up _Dressed Up in Love_, I will be able to update more on this story. But for now, here is a teaser of what's to come! **

**Note 2: This will he an AU Kogan/Jarlos/Klaine story. I'm so excited! I have been wanting to write this for ages. It will be my next multi-chapter fic. I hope you all enjoy!**

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><p>Kelly Wainwright, independent women of reasonable means who loves chocolate, dinosaurs and karaoke, gripped the steering wheel of her silver Toyota Camry so tight her knuckles turned pale white. She took three deep breaths, then one more just in case, before letting go of the wheel.<p>

"You can do this Kel." She whispered to herself before grasping the rear view mirror, checking her makeup for a quick moment. "Ten minutes, tops. Then you'll be out of there." She hated how her voice quivered in that last word. She shook her head, took one more deep breath, then opened the car door.

The little one story ranch looked neither better nor worse than the other houses that lined this quiet little suburban street. The outside shingles were not chipped, the lawn was mowed. Through the little glass panes lining the door to the garage, one could see the inside was clean and organized.

No. It was what lay inside the house that separated itself from the rest of this neighborhood. And Kelly knew very well what that separation was as she slowly walked up the little stone pathway to the front door.

She rang the doorbell, then cursed her inner voice for wishing no one was home. She had come here to do, not only her job, but what was right, and hated her cowardice for causing her fear.

The front door swung open in a quick jerk, causing Kelly to jump a bit in surprise, her throat closing. She silently counted to ten, hoping the feeling in her legs would eventually return.

The man that stood before her was taller by about two feet. He had jet black hair perched above chocolate brown eyes surrounded by pale white skin lined in slowly appearing wrinkles. He had a thick mustache, but it did nothing to cover the deep frown this man wore when his eyes settled on the woman at his door step.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, his voice gruff and filled with suspicion and annoyance at his sons guidance counselor from school bothering him on a Sunday.

Taking one more deep breath through her nose Kelly hoisted the stack of papers in her hands up to her chest...and smiled.

"Good morning Mr. Mitchell. I'm sorry for bothering you this morning, but I was hoping I could just take ten minutes of your time to discuss your son, Logan?"

The man leaned against the door frame. His body was not overly large, in fact he shared his youngest sons thin, lean body beneath a white t shirt and plain jeans. But the prominent beer gut threw off the image."What the hell he do now?"

Giving off a careless laugh, despite her trembling insides, Kelly said, "Oh no sir. Logan didn't do anything wrong. In fact I'm here with great news." She paused, waiting to see if the man had any comments. He only quirked an eyebrow. Desperate to not begin stuttering, she continued,"Um. Do you mind if we continue this discussion inside?"

Mr. Mitchell sighed, then looked up and down the street behind her, as if to see if anyone was watching. She knew why. She knew how he felt about her. About many aspects of who she was. His eyes settled back onto her as he said, "You sure this can't wait? The games about to start."

Stifling harsh comments threatening to bubble from her throat, Kelly smiled only wider, "I promise you sir, this won't take up more than ten minutes."

The man heaved a sigh, then took a step back, holding out a long arm as if to welcome her in, but by the sarcastic grin on his face, she knew he was less than thrilled to have her in his house.

"Logan. Get your troublesome ass in here!" Mr. Mitchell bellowed as he walked past a hallway lined with closed doors. But a voice from the living room called out, "He's in the kitchen dad."

Kelly looked into the living room to see Logan's older brother sitting on the couch, eyes glued to the large TV screen. ESPN was on, with four well dressed former pro-athletes discussing the possible outcomes for the football game, just minutes away from starting.

Jake, just two years older, had flunked out of his first semester of college, opting to move back home and work with his father managing a local farm almost forty minutes away. He was a bulky boy, not overly large, but suited for the four years of football he played in high school. He wasn't smart enough, or even tried all that hard, to garner any scholarships, but he lacked any real drive, so he had settled for community college, which didn't last long.

Kelly followed Mr. Mitchell into the kitchen, where her eyes fell onto Logan. The young sophomore, soon to be junior, was elbow deep in dishwater at the kitchen sink, scrubbing away at the pots, plates and utensils with an intense vigor.

_He's gotten thinner_ _since I last saw him_, she couldn't help but think, remembering how he looked on the last day of the school year almost two weeks ago. Wearing his brothers much too big hand me downs, which were similar to what Logan was wearing now. With her smile still plastered onto her face, she sweetly said, "Hello Logan."

The boy jumped at hearing her voice, almost dropping a plate as he turned to face her. "M-Ms. Wainwright. W-what are you doing here?" She winced when she heard the fear in his voice. Before she could answer, Mr. Mitchell stalked back into the kitchen, opening a door that led to the basement.

"Woman! Get up here! Your fuck up of a son is in trouble again!" He bellowed down.

Drying his hands on a dishtowel, Logan's eyes widened at Kelly, fearing truth in his fathers words. She sighed, her smile fading a bit, "No Mr. Mitchell. Logan isn't in trouble-" But her words were cut off as loud stomping echoed up the stairway, and soon emerged Mrs. Mitchell.

She was thin as well, making Kelly wonder where Jake got his bulk, but her eyes were an icy blue beneath mousy brown hair. She wore a faded sweater and washed out jeans. But when she spoke, it was high and sharp, "What did you do now Logan? I swear to God I don't know where we went wrong with you." She advanced onto her son, making Logan cringe and step back, his breathing coming in and out fast.

"Please. If we could just sit down for a moment, I have some news that involves everyone." Kelly exclaimed, cutting through the tension to try and usher this family to sit at the kitchen table. Resigned, for now, all three sat. Mr. Mitchell sat closets to the entrance of the kitchen, trying to catch the news from the game. Mrs. Mitchell glared at her son. And Logan just kept his eyes downward.

"About two months ago, Logan was asked to write an essay on...well basically the mathematical equations of black holes. He did so well, I took the liberty of submitting it as part of a competition for promising young mathematicians. He didn't win the competition, but he did win the attention of a professor from Dalton academy who was one of the judges."

Logan's eyes shot up in surprise, regarding Kelly with trepidation...and hope.

"That school for faggots?" Mr. Mitchell muttered, standing to head towards the refrigerator, pulling out a beer. He didn't offer Kelly anything.

"Uh. No Mr. Mitchell. It's an all boy's school, but it is also the best school in the state. It has an amazing program designed for young minds with a focus on math. When the professor heard about Logan he inquired with the high school to find out more about him. His grades, interests, teachers comments. After a while it was decided...and Dalton wants Logan."

She could hear Logan suck in a breath, surprise evident in his downcast eyes.

Mrs. Mitchell laughed, "Right. And how the hell are we supposed to afford all that shit?"

For the first time since Kelly appeared on their doorstep, she smiled for real. Opening up the manilla folder she had been carrying, she laid out the various papers in front of Logan's parents. "I have here a scholarship that will pay for two full years at Dalton, as well as room and board, food and money for the uniforms." She paused, allowing the two to glance over the papers before taking out a pen from her purse, "All you have to do...is sign."

Kelly dared a glance over at Logan, who wasn't even looking at his parents. He was taking his own deep breaths, and she knew he was dying right now. The two people who hated him most in the world were just handed his future, and the decision was all theirs right now what to do with it.

"I don't know about this." Mr. Mitchell said, picking up a piece of paper and wrinkling his nose in confusion, "I need my boy around here. To help out with stuff, round the house and to bring in some money for food. I don't know about this math stuff, but he ain't all that bright, and can't do much on his own."

Logan was ice, frozen. Not muttering a word at his father spoke. But, Kelly had been prepared for this. She had to many run-in's with the Mitchell's to not know how they work. She slid another piece of paper out of the folder, placing it before the man. It was her last hope...her ace in the deck.

"I have here the calculations of all the money you will save by Logan not being here for the next two years. Food, heat, clothing, gas to and from school...basic living costs." The man scanned over this paper with much more interest than any of the others that were placed before him, his wife glancing over as well, "As you can see, it would do very well in your favor to let Logan go."

The room was quiet as the Mitchell's contemplated this information set before them. Minutes slowly ticked by, before Logan's father slapped his knee and with a smile said, "Boy...can they keep you over summer vacation to? This is good amount of money. Where do I sign?"

Kelly could hardly suppress a smile as she watched Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell sign the papers that would

allow Dalton Academy to take over for their sons education for the next two years. With an exaggerated clearing of his throat, Mr. Mitchell stood, his eyes on Kelly "So if that's everything..." he indicated to the front door, suggesting Kelly's time here was up.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Mitchell. I'm all set with you and Mrs. Mitchell, but if I could just have a minute with Logan to go over some things he will need to know?"

The man heaved a sigh, "Fine. Logan will show you out." And with that goodbye, he turned away to head to the living room, shouting out, "What the hell did I miss?"

Mrs. Mitchell stood, wiping her hands on her pants as if she had just dealt with something dirty, "Well. Now that that is over with...don't take to long Logan. We've got more work to do." And with that she turned and headed back down the stairs, barely glancing at Kelly.

Both Logan and Kelly were quiet, eyes focused on the same object. On the table before them was a admissions folder with the name Dalton neatly printed above the image of Dalton's towering main campus building, an old castle like structure of brick and stone. The Dalton emblem blazed next to its name, proud and promising.

"Logan," Kelly whispered, breaking the silence that had descended over them, "Are you all right?"

Logan raised his head, his eyes finally resting onto Kelly's, "I-I don't know." He whispered back. This was all so much. He had never thought about his future before, thought about much besides surviving each day.

She reached across the table, grasping Logan's hand that had been resting on the table. When she touched him, she felt him relax, unclench the fist he hadn't realized he had been holding. "You only need to survive three more months here...then you're free."

Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding either, hope, surprise and happiness entered Logan's eyes. And for the first time in the two years Kelly had known Logan...he smiled.

In that moment, when that smile formed across Logan's face, as his eyes rested upon Dalton's name, Kelly suddenly remembered why she got a job as a guidance counselor. Why she loved helping these kids.

Why she had the courage to get out of her car to face the wrath of Logan's family.

She became a guidance counselor so she could do amazing things for people. Wonderful things...like help a boy smile for the first time in years. Smile...with hope.

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><p><strong>This will be written a bit differently than how I write my other mult-chapters. Normally I write the whole story ahead of time, then post as I edit. This time I will writing and posting chapter by chapter, considering my time restraints with school. Therefore, updates will not be frequent. But I will finish the story. I've been wanting to write this for to long to not finish it. I hope you all enjoy it! <strong>

**xoxo BA **


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

Just a quick note and then on with the story!

So...

This multi-chapter fic will take place in the environment known as Dalton Academy. For those of you who are Glee fans, particularly Klaine, you might be familiar with the rather well known fanfic _Dalton_ by CP Coulter. It is a multi-chapter epic that I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in Klaine.

(KurtxBlaine)

I am mentioning this because at some parts, in my story, if you have read _Dalton_ by CP Coulter, you might tilt your head to the side a bit and say, "Hey now...that sounds kinda familiar..."

I am not copying the story of Dalton. My story, _Meet the Warblers_, is an independent story that I am posting in the Big Time Rush archive because it is a story about Big Time Rush characters that exist in the _Dalton_ Universe. The plot is different. The story line is different. Any similarities to _Dalton_ by CP Coulter exists only because the Big Time Rush characters are now running around in the _Dalton_-verse created in my head based upon the setting created by CP Coulter. There will be only a couple things that are outright similar, such as the occasional bursting into song, a slight rivalry between houses (of which there are two rather than 3 I believe in CP Coulters), and the Klaine pairing. But other than that, this is an original story, not _Dalton_.

I know you might think I'm over reacting by writing this whole thing out, but recently I discovered that someone has taken one of my stories and recreated it as their own. It's one thing to take a story and rewrite it while acknowledging that it was inspired by someone else (hell even _Lifetime_ acknowledges it with their movies) but it is another to take a story and make it your own, believing that if you tweak a couple of things that it's now yours and it's okay. It's not. It's not okay at all. It's rude as can be and there's no need for it. Acknowledge, _please_. I don't care if you do it as long as you acknowledge that it's not your own.

I know my stories aren't the kind that get hundreds of reviews like other writers, but I know other authors in this fandom have had this problem, and it really shouldn't happen. We put a lot of time and effort into our writing. I love you guys so much and I really appreciate all the support and reviews I get, and I really don't want to sound like a whinny jerk. It's just that I feel it's respectful to give credit where it's due. And that is what I'm doing. _Dalton_ by CP Coulter inspired me to write this story, but it is not the same story. It's my own. I really hope you all like it and enjoy it. It's all for you.

xoxo BA


	3. Chapter 3

I'm really sorry this has taken so long for me to get up. This semester has been kicking my behind. I tried to make this chapter nice and long. I hope you all enjoy!

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><p><em>Late again...damn it...<em>

The sound of the wind rushing past Logan's ears was loud as he dashed down the gravel path leading towards Greyson Hall. He wasn't worried about anyone seeing him. It was just after dawn in Ohio, and the empty grounds of the academy showed no life at this hour.

His chest hurt. When had he last run like this? Months ago, he assumed, at his last gym class in May.

His last gym class at that school, forever.

Greyson Hall loomed in front of Logan, a tall and solid square of brick and stone. It's layers of windows were eyes that surveyed the grounds of Dalton Academy, ever watching, ever present. Above the doorway the words A_eternum Clara Fortis et Verum_ were carved into arch on the wall.

Long roads full of gravel just like the one Logan was running on led up to Greyson Hall from different buildings around the academy. The dormitories were the closest. The rest of the buildings were scattered over the grounds, mainly consisting of the main hall, the chapel, the auditorium, and various other buildings the school utilized.

Logan slid to a stop before a set of steps leading up to the heavy wooden doors, a small cloud of dust curling up around his feet from the gravel and dirt. He was late...again.

He struggled to slide on his black and red blazer over his white button up and matching tie. Granted, classes didn't start until the day after tomorrow, but he had been instructed by the head master that, when in the presence of professors, he needed to remain in Dalton decorum at all times.

Logan considered as he ran up the steps, grasping onto the heavy door to pull it open, that he couldn't image _this_ particular professor to care much for Dalton decorum.

Professor Bob. Or Buddha Bob, as his adviser, the head of math and sciences at Dalton Academy, told Logan to call him. He was not exactly what Logan would consider as the most stuck up and traditional professor at the Academy. But he was the only professor he'd met yet, so Logan really wasn't one to know for sure.

Buddha Bob was also known as Logan's savior who helped get him a scholarship into Dalton. A uniquely minded man of great intelligence...who also harbored some questionable social skills.

This was evident in the unusual antics Logan had witnessed over the past few days, many of which occurred in the place Logan was standing outside of, adjusting his tie and blazer before nervously knocking on the mans office door.

"Oh!" A loud crash. "Uh...just a minute!" Various more crashes and something that sounded like a firecracker going off before, "Okay! Come in!"

Logan opened the door, and stepped inside the dream of any man who dedicated his life to science. The office was as large as it was tall, taking up a great corner of the third floor of Greyson Hall. One large wall was lined with book shelves stacked with large mounds of papers, books with scientific titles on the spine, and notebooks shoved into every space available. The side wall across from the books had a large table filled with beakers, test tubes and various shaped glass containers filled with bubbling, bright and dull colored liquids. Above the table a large multicolored poster of a He-La cell hung neatly against the wall.

Logan shut the door, offering the man a small smile, the scent of burnt roses in the air. There was puffs of dark smoke in the room being sucked out by one of the open windows. The professor was busy pushing his large desk backwards, so that the open space where one would normally sit was now facing the door Logan had just entered, away from the large window that nearly spanned the back wall.

"Mr. Mitchell! Grab a corner. I always forget how heavy this damn desk is!" Buddha Bob exclaimed, standing up to place his hands on his back, wincing when he stretched. He was taller than Logan by a couple feet. His face was covered in hair, both from his chin and the large wisps coming from his head. Only his bright eyes showed and uniqueness to his features. He wore ratty khakis, a wool jumper, and worn out docs.

Logan shed his blazer without a word, tossing it on a ratty old couch near the door. He grabbed the other side of the desk and, without question, helped his adviser finish turning his old wooden desk up against the side wall. There was now a large space in front of the window, sunlight shining on the empty floor.

Logan had been at Dalton for nearly two weeks, but he had gotten used to his professors unusual requests after the first day. Even though the rest of the student body wasn't arriving until later today, because of Logan's special scholarship status, he arrived at the academy early to settle into his program before the hassles of classes began.

He remembered meeting Buddha Bob on his first day at Dalton, nervously walking through the large gates that signified to any outsider that they were about to cross in the the holy land of advanced academics. The name Dalton curved in large letters on the top of the gates, a name not to be taken lightly.

When he first arrived in Lima, Logan considered taking a cab from the bus station to the school. But the bus from his hometown over two hours away arrived earlier than he anticipated, so he decided to save some money and just walk the fifteen miles there. He didn't mind, and it wasn't as if he was carrying loads upon loads of luggage. Logan had successfully stored sixteen years of his life in a duffel bag hanging off his shoulder. His books and uniform patiently waiting for him at the school.

After finding his way to the larger than life academy, and aimlessly wandering around the campus trying to find the student services office, he stumbled upon a man holding a plunger while curiously regarding the pipes outside of a large building Logan would soon come to learn is his new dormitory.

"Um...excuse me?" Logan had called out to the man, "Could you tell me where the uh..." he pulled out a tattered map from his back pocket, worn from being read over by Logan for the past three months, "Larson Hall is?"

The man didn't seem to hear him, staring at the plumbing through his thick mop top and shaggy beard. So Logan stepped up closer, "Uh...sir...excuse me?" Suddenly the man turned, swinging the plunger at Logan will full force.

For once Logan was grateful he was used to ducking sudden attacks, brought on not so lovingly by his bully of a brother and monster of a father. He was able to jump back and dodge the attack, trying to keep his balance as he geared up for a another swing from the mysterious man.

But Logan wasn't used to having the extra weight on his back, the load of his brothers hand me down attire he inherited, and stumbled backwards, landing squarely on his butt.

"Oh! I'm sorry. You startled me!" The man exclaimed, staring wide eyed at the boy on the ground who was coughing up dust and dirt. "You really shouldn't sneak up on people." The man continued, reaching down to grab Logan by the collar of his shirt to drag him up quickly from the ground.

"I-I didn't-" Logan began, confused and feeling a little man-handled. But the man cut him off.

"No worries. No harm done." As he brushed off Logan's dirty pants and shirt, Logan realized the plunger had yellow duck tape eyes nose and a mouth. For some reason, this man had given this object a face.

"Well..it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Mitchell!" The man exclaimed, grabbing Logan's hand to shake it enthusiastically with his own free one, the plunger on resting on his shoulder comfortably.

"H-How do you know my name?" Logan asked, eying the plunger nervously. Though he knew those duct tape eyes were fake...it was still creepy to have the plunger seemingly stare at him through yellow eyes.

"I'm Professor Bob, the one who reviewed your paper on mathematics in black hole evaporation. I recognize you from your student photo from your old school. Welcome to Dalton academy!"

Logan had been waiting three months, ten hours and twenty two minutes to come to Dalton since that day when his guidance councilor showed up at his door with a packet holding the deed to his new life. In every instance since then, when he imagined what his first day would be like at this new school, he did not expect it to begin covered in dirt while being greeted by a plumbing enthusiast with questionable hearing.

The following two weeks spent at Dalton, Logan quickly became settled into a comfortable routine with Professor Bob, or Buddha Bob, as the elder man encouraged Logan to call him. "The students call me it. Don't know why...but they do."

They met in the morning to discuss what math related subjects Logan would be working on during the semester. These discussions would normally last well into the evening. Buddha Bob proved to be immensely knowledgeable in the subject, which Logan expected considering his surroundings. From the content of what they discussed, Logan was beginning to realize that being a student here would be challenging, but then that is what he signed up for. Instead of being nervous, he was welcoming this challenge...but still feeling like he wanted to throw up occasionally from nerves.

Buddha Bob seemed to know this school like he was born there. When he saw Logan's initial class schedule he took it apart, switching classes and teachers like working a chess board. One class would be to mediocre, or one professor to mundane. He would sacrifice Intro to Number Theory for Linear Algebra, or remind Logan to get a form that Buddha Bob needed to sign which would get him out of social studies so he could take Differential Geometry. He would trade, switch and maneuver Logan's school days around so the boy would get the most out of his two years here.

"I left this spot open for you. I recommend you join some kind of organized social activity." Buddha Bob told Logan a few days after he arrived as the boy examined his advisers 1974 Encyclopedia of Bioethics.

"A social activity? Like...a club?" Logan asked, looking up in surprise at the man. He would expect his advisory to want him to focus on his math, not...have fun?

"It's good to take a break from your work every once in a while. Do something for kicks. If you don't, you'll liable to go crazy here!" Buddha Bob exclaimed with a humorous laugh before turning to the plunger perched upon his desk, "Right Plungie?"

Logan silently made a mental note to sign up for whatever was available then...and to stay away from naming inanimate objects for the rest of his life.

As much as Logan loved the solitude of the campus and his sessions with his adviser, he knew they were quickly coming to an end.

"This is our last morning session before classes start. You excited?" Buddha Bob asked Logan, breaking the boy's thoughts as he reminisced on the last two weeks. The professor motioned him to come over to his ratty gray and black couch near his office door. Logan followed and helped him push it towards the window across the room. The sunlight that fell upon it did nothing to help the couches lackluster image.

"I guess. I'm really ready to get started on those equations you were telling me about. Picking apart the attributes and cardinalities of those diagrams will be a great challenge."

Buddha Bob nodded before gesturing for the boy to take a seat. Logan sat wordlessly, a bit worried a spring might poke him, but nothing yet.

"Do you like strawberries or blueberries." His adviser asked, standing next to the couch.

"Uh...blueberries?" Logan asked, not sure what the elder man was getting at.

The professor nodded and headed over to the large lab table where he bent down to open a mini-fridge hidden under it. Logan turned and peered over the top of the couch, wondering what the man was up to.

Buddha Bob pulled out a large glass jar filled with a bright blue liquid. He grabbed two Styrofoam cups and poured the liquid into both. Then he put the glass back into the fridge, shutting it with his foot as he grabbed both cups. He walked back over to Logan, handing him one of the cups, waiting for the boy to drink.

"What is it?" Logan asked curiously, glancing into the cup. The man was always asking him weird questions and putting him into awkward situations, but this was new.

"A drink." The man answered, not taking a sip of his own.

"Um..." Logan paused, not sure what he should do. Buddha Bob was watching him curiously, so he took a breath, then tilted the drink back, taking a sip.

A rush of coolness spread through out his chest as the taste of blueberries burst into his mouth, with no linger taste of sugar or artificial sweeteners clouding the experience. He swallowed because he had to breath, and was instantly sad when the taste faded.

"That was...amazing!" Logan exclaimed, looking up at his adviser who had out a pocket watch and was glancing between the watch and Logan.

"Um...Buddha Bob?" Logan asked, frowning at the man.

"And...okay! So. How do you feel? Faint? Tired? An intense need to climb trees?" Buddha Bob asked, pocketing the watch and staring intently at Logan, who cowered a bit under his intense gaze.

"Uh...no?" Logan said, because he honestly didn't feel any of those things...but was that a good thing?

Buddha Bob thought so. "Great!" He threw the cup back and gulped down the entire contents. "Ah! I was hoping that combination would prove to be non-letheal. Brilliant!" Buddha Bob grabbed Logan and his cups and went back to the lab table, grabbing a box of Pop Secret from a shelf that held peanut butter, granola bars and a jar of squished and wrinkled items in murky water labeled "Pigs Feet?"

"So...what's on the agenda for today?" Logan asked, wondering if it was legal that his professor subjected him to deadly taste testing.

The man tossed the kernels into a glass jar held above a Bunsen burner. "Today's moving day. All the students are coming back to school." He poured some oil into the glass to cover the kernels and swished it around.

"So?" Logan asked, turning back to look out the window. He realized that the window had a great view of the two dormitories, Fletcher Manor and Burton Manor, that faced each other. Separating them was a large green lawn that was surrounded by a long gravel road connecting the two dorms.

"So. Moving day is one of the most interesting days in the Dalton school year." Bob answered over the kernels popping. "It's quite a show."

Logan couldn't imagine how watching people move would be an interesting show, but he knew better than to question his teacher.

"Plungie and I wouldn't miss it for the world." Buddha Bob continued, cooing at the plunger that sat wordlessly on the book self.

Logan slumped in his seat. Okay...maybe he might need to be a little more perceptive of his professor.

Two hours later there was still no sign of life outside the window of Buddha Bob's office. Logan and Buddha Bob had books and paper scattered all around them, working on complex mathematical theorems. This was very typical of them to spend their hours like this, and Logan was content to do so for the rest of the day.

"What do you think of Weierstrass' factorization theorem ?" Logan asked, reading from a book about the concept of this theory.

"Interesting...but flawed." Buddha Bob answered, pulling out a laptop from his desk to open it. It had stickers on the back of heavy metal bands like Ozzy and Grateful Dead. It also had a sticker that said _Keep Calm and Unplug that Clog!_

"Ah ha!" Buddha Bob exclaimed after a minute of searching. "It says here that-" He stopped, cocking his head to the side.

"What?" Logan asked, frowning at the mans sudden pausing.

"You here that Plungie?" Buddha Bob exclaimed, "I think it's starting!" The elder man sat up in a rush, grabbing the books and papers and putting them on his desk. "I'll get more popcorn!" He opened up a desk drawer and fished around until he pulled out a pair of binoculars.

"W-what's starting?" Logan asked as Buddha Bob thrust the binoculars into his hands.

"The moving day! I can hear a car coming. You keep a look out!" Buddha Bob ran over to his work table and began moving things around, getting more food and drinks ready.

Logan turned around and stood, taking a step so he could stand in front of the window. He didn't see anything, or hear anything...

And then, there it was. The unmistakable sound of gravel crunching under tires. He watched as a large black limo pulled up in front of Burton and Fletcher dormitories.

And then another.

And another...

"That's weird." Logan commented, binoculars in hand as he watched the limos line up outside of the building, "It seems like a lot of students are arriving at the same time."

Suddenly Buddha Bob was right next to him, looking out the window and watching the same limos park and various people exiting them. He handed Logan another blueberry drink, similar to his own.

"That's where your wrong Mr. Mitchell. All those cars...are for just one person."

Logan jerked back at Buddha Bob's words. "W-what?"

Buddha Bob took a sip, his eyes still on the scene going on outside the window, "Like I said, it's quite a show."

And a show it was. Three months ago, if you had asked Logan if he would enjoy spending hours watching loads of strangers move, he would have laughed.

But that was before he met his soon to be classmates.

Some arrived in limos or expensive foreign cars, filled with fawning family glittered in diamonds and chic clothing. Others arrived in huge moving trucks, carrying more for one student than Logan was sure his entire family owned.

"Just wait till you see who arrives by helicopter." Buddha said, passing a bowl of popcorn to Logan, who ate some with one hand while the other held the binoculars glued to his face. They both were on the gray couch, feet perched up on an old steamer trunk Buddha Bob said he won in a poker game. "We're scientists, we bet on stuff and theories...you think we got money to throw around?"

Logan couldn't believe some of the things that these students were bringing to school. One student had a truck full of guitars. It took the movers over an hour to carefully load them all into the dorms. Another student had a statue, an actual statue, being brought to the school. It was a woman half naked, but still...a statue?

A smaller truck house over fifty small black boxes. The movers spent hours taking the boxes into the dorms, then coming back out to get more. Logan was dying to know what was in them, but he never saw the student who they belonged to.

The show continued on for hours, making Logan wonder if it would ever end. Students brought everything Logan could imagine a person owning: their own furniture, loads upon loads of luggage in Gucci and Louie Vutton bags, cars and bikes. One student even brought their own tub. Logan couldn't believe what these students needed to survive the school year.

Soon a simple black pickup truck pulled up along the dorms, overshadowed by the larger tucks, limos and general exuberance of wealth surrounding it.

"Ah. Here he is. I was wondering if he was going to come back." Buddha Bob suddenly stated, standing and motioning for Logan to hand him the binoculars.

"Who?" Logan asked curiously, looking down.

As Buddha pulled the binoculars to his face, he answered, "The new kid before you. Kurt Hummel."

* * *

><p>"Now you're sure you've got everything?" Burt Hummel asked, grabbing his sons suitcase while his step-son, Finn Hudson, grabbed Kurt's other bag before Kurt could reach for either.<p>

Kurt let out a small huff at this action. While he was grateful for the help, sometimes the men in his family treated him more like a girl than he liked.

"Yes dad. We went over this a hundred times." He answered, straightening his gray page boy hat that matched his jacket, "I've got all the essentials. Appropriate winter wardrobe, all my books, and my entire collection of Barbara Streisand movies."

Okay, so maybe he knew why they treated him like a girl...but still...

"I can't believe you're going to be gone the whole year. Glee club just wont be the same without you." Finn said, staring up at Kurt's new home and the extravagance of those Kurt would be living with.

"You're just worried that the Warblers will kick the New Directions butt in Sectionals." Kurt chided, glancing back over at his step-brother as he pulled some papers from his satchel. He was curious as to what room he was assigned to this year. He had lived off campus during the rest of his sophomore year, but this year he wanted to stay on campus and hopefully be closer to his friends. He opened the door to the dormitory for his family, as they stepped inside, then led them towards the stairway up to the third floor.

Walking inside, Kurt took in the simple structure of his new home. He was greeted by a large open foyer, with checkered marble tiling along the floor in black and white. Various doors on the other end led to the common room as well as the kitchen and bath areas. To his right a large staircase led to the three floors of the building, each floor filled with dorm rooms.

"I doubt that. You realize with you on the Warblers, Rachel's been working in overdrive to figure out how to beat you guys." Finn continued as they climbed the large staircase, heading towards the third floor. Kurt and Finn bantered about the competition until they walked into Kurt's dorm room. His mouth dropped open in shock at the size of the room. It was a double, but Finn was pretty sure it was larger than his old house.

"Well, tell Rachel's shes got her work cut out for her. Between me and Blaine, the Warblers are on the path of glory this year." Kurt answered, grabbing his bag from his father to place it on the bed closets to the window.

"Do you need any help unpacking?" Carol asked, walking up to Kurt to place a hand on his arm. Kurt couldn't help but smile. He loved having Carol around. Even though he never got to know his own mother, he loved having this woman treat him like a son, and be so good to his own father.

"No. I'm good. But thanks for the offer. I don't want to keep you guys to long. Dad forgot to take his heart medication...again." Kurt shot at his father, turning to the man who was half bent inside the fireplace, inspecting it with a frown.

"Missing it once won't kill me Kurt." He said, standing up and brushing his hands together to get rid of the dirt. "And I promise to take it as soon as I get home. And you-" He pointed to his son before clasping him on the shoulder, "Make sure they clean out that chimney before you light it up. It's filthy in there and a fire hazard."

Kurt smiled and pulled his father in for a hug, knowing this was his Dad's way of saying good bye. He wasn't good with the words, but the meaning behind his advice and warnings was clear to Kurt.

"You need anything, you call okay?" Finn said, clasping Kurt on the shoulder as well.

"Oh boys, he'll be fine." Carol said, pulling Kurt in for a hug goodbye. When she stepped back she brushed his cheek gently and said with a smirk, "Anyways, he has Blaine to look out for him."

With an eye roll and a blush, Kurt mumbled, "He doesn't need to look out for me..."

Finn shoved his hands in his pockets as he asked, "I'm surprised he's not here already. Where is Blaine anyways?"

* * *

><p>"Blaine Anderson, one of the heads of the Warblers." Buddha Bob explained, handing the binoculars to Logan who took them eagerly. The boy couldn't believe how interested he was in what was going on as he pulled the binoculars to his face, "Good student. Good kid. A transfer as well, but his first year half-way through."<p>

"How come?" Logan asked, eying the blue eyed, dark haired boy who was talking with an elder man and woman Logan assumed was his father mother. The man wore a dark suit that matched his dark expression. He kept checking his watch with a frown, his words quick and quiet. The woman was dressed nicely as well, in a maroon silk wrap with white heels that were as bright as the pearls in her ears.

And also...what the heck was a Warbler?

"Not entirely sure why he left, but the word is he was assaulted at his last school for being gay."

Logan lowered his binoculars at Buddha Bob's words.

_...for being gay_.

"You okay Mr. Mitchell?" Buddha Bob asked, drawing Logan out of his thoughts. The brunette shook his head and said, "Uh Yeah. Sorry. That uh that sucks. But...it's better for him here though...right? No one...gives him a hard time?"

Buddha Bob shrugged and said, "For the most part yes. It is better here. There's a zero tolerance policy on school violence. And most students don't seem to mind it at all." Here the professor paused before repeating, "Most people."

With a frown, Logan made a mental note of this conversation before looking back out the window at the boy currently watching his parents drive away in a black Lincoln Town car.

* * *

><p>Blaine Anderson, head of the Warblers, Prefect, and current standing Valedictorian of his Junior class heaved a sigh heavy with quiet sorrows. From his spot on the curb surrounded by hordes of his classmates and their endless possession, he stood alone with his three suitcases, a Burberry tweed jacket and a frown.<p>

Another year at Dalton.

Blaine turned to his suitcases, his fathers words echoing in his mind.

_You don't need help bringing them in Blaine. I know your gay but please don't try to act like a girl all the time._

It wasn't the worst words to come out of his fathers mouth, but they still stung just the same. With a sigh he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned around to face his home for the next ten months. Fletcher Manor stood tall and proud before him. Although intimidating, Blaine considered this building more of a home than the fifteen years he spent with his family in their ivory gated mansion outside of Lima.

He looked around, hoping to catch the sight of anyone familiar. Though some faces jumped out at him,

none of them were the one's he was hoping to find. Or, more specifically, a certain someone. He headed towards the building, not worrying about his luggage. As if his classmates needed any more stuff.

He stepped inside, taking a deep breath as the familiar smells and sights of Dalton advanced on his senses. He loved how the building smelled like books and leather. He took in the moment of coming home before turning right to jog up the large stairway leading to the dorm rooms, peeking in the open ones hoping to find who he was looking for. It wasn't until the third floor he heard the unmistakable sound of Streisand pouring down the corridor.

_Can it be that it was all so simple then_

_Or has time rewritten every line_

_If we had the chance to do it all again_

_Tell me - Would we? Could we? _

He followed it until he came closer to the end of the hallway, to a double with one of the doors open. Quietly, he peeked inside, a smile growing slowly on his face.

Kurt Hummel hummed along with Streisand as he slowly unpacked his clothing, laying each shirt, pant and shoes along every surface to inspect and organize. He was unaware of Blaine hovering by the door, watching his movements with adoration and comfort.

Blaine thanked God often for Kurt Hummel elegantly stumbling into his life in a not so sly way. The boy brought all sorts of happiness to Blaine, and he intended to do right by Kurt this year. It may have taken almost all of sophomore year for him to realize how he felt about Kurt, but this was a new year and a fresh start, one Blaine was eager to enjoy.

"I think the black cardigan would go great with the white Raplh Lauren button down." Blaine said, loud over Streisand but not shouting.

Kurt jumped, letting out a little squeak of surprise as he turned to who was talking. He dropped the ascot he was holding before exclaiming, "Blaine!"

Suddenly Blaine had an armful of Kurt, squeezing the porcelain skinned boy gently and burying his face into his shoulder. He smelled of lavender and fall.

"I missed you." Kurt breathed, bringing up a hand to rest it on the back of Blaine's neck.

Said boy chucked, taking a step back to drown in the icy blue eyes he worshiped, "What? You saw me three days ago."

"Yes. Three whole days ago. That's a long time to be without you." Kurt said, taking Blaine's hand and bringing him into his room. He let go and walked over to his iPod, shutting of Barbara's crooning.

"And we talked and texted everyday." Blaine continued jokingly. But he loved hearing Kurt's words. They brought a fire to his stomach, making him feel wanted...loved.

Kurt walked back over to Blaine, wrapping his arms around the taller boy's neck with a smirk, "It's not enough if I can't do this." And with a push from his tiptoes, Kurt slid his mouth onto Blaine's, giving him a chaste, sweet kiss.

A little surprised, but happy nonetheless, Blaine slid his arms around Kurt's waist, pulling him in closer and deepening the kiss. They stayed as that for a minute, rekindling their passion with each other after their long days apart. Soon, Kurt stepped back, taking in a breath before letting out a content sigh.

"I can't help but see your point of view." Blaine muttered quietly with a smile, his throat clogged with emotion. He couldn't believe how much he was feeling, how much he missed Kurt without even realizing it.

"I can be very persuasive." Kurt whispered before sliding his hands down to grasp Blaine's, squeezing them gently before continuing, "Have you seen your room yet? I want to know if it's close to mine."

Bringing up a crooked finger to trace Kurt's face, Blaine answered, "Well we would know that by now if you agreed to room with me."

With a roll of his eyes Kurt shook his head, stepping away from Blaine's gentle touch, "Don't even try that with me. I learned to much about relationships at McKinley. We need our own spaces Blaine, or else we'd try and kill each other by Halloween. And anyway, my dad knows were dating. He'd have a fit if we were sixteen and already living together."

"I know." Blaine groaned, flashing a smile at Kurt to show he really understood.

"So what room are you in?" Kurt asked again.

Blaine shrugged and said, "I don't know yet. First thing I did when I got here was look for you."

With a laugh, Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand, pulling him out of the room to head towards the stairway leading down to the exit, "Oh really? Did you miss me that much, or were you just looking for some help with your bags?"

At that Blaine stopped short and jerked his hand away, his fathers words still fresh in his mind, "I don't need help with that." His tone was sharp and sudden, filled with an ice.

Stopping still, Kurt spun on the stairs, turning back to Blaine with a frown at his sudden change in demeanor, "I-I know that Blaine. I want to help you." He paused, taking in the dark shadow that had suddenly over come his boyfriends face, "Finn and my dad wouldn't let me lift a thing. I swear sometimes they treat me more like a girl than Carol. It's quite annoying."

Taking a deep breath, Blaine shook away the voice of his father, "I know. I-I'm sorry." He stepped down until he was next to Kurt. With a smile and a soft, apologetic tone, he continued, "I would love some help with my bags."

Kurt nodded, smiling at Blaine as he walked past him and down the stairs. That smile fell when Blaine's back was to him. Kurt bit his lip in worry, this instance not going away from his thoughts anytime soon. But before he could make sense of it, Blaine turned back, unaware of Kurt's actions and exclaimed, "We should probably hurry, or else we'll get stuck helping James."

That brought a bounce to Kurt's step. "Ugh. That boy and his hair products. You'd think he was Justin Beiber. Good enough reason for me."

* * *

><p>"...does one person really need that much stuff?" Logan tossed some more popcorn in his mouth before taking the offered cup of strawberry elixir handed to him by his professor.<p>

"If you're James Diamond you do." Said professor exclaimed, looking up from his notes.

In between new arrivals and departures, Logan and Buddha Bob continued working on notes and theories, taking breaks to see if there were any particularly interesting newcomers.

"Diamond...why does that sound familiar?"

"Ever hear of Diamond Cosmetics?" Buddha Bob asked.

Taking a minute to think, Logan suddenly exclaimed, "Oh yeah! My mother uses their stuff."

"Brooke Diamond is the founder and creator of that company. James is her son."

Logan stood and walked over to the window, binoculars in hand as he watched a long Hummer limo pull up to the front of the building. Before it's arrival, three U-Haul trucks appeared, unloading furniture and dozens of Armani Luggage. Even though Logan was very much aware of how poor he was, he could tell that every item this kid owned was beautiful.

Until Logan actually _saw_ the kid.

James Diamond stepped out of the limo wearing beat up jeans, dark black boots, and a white t-shirt under a cargo jacket. His face was framed by a pair of aviators, which he slid off to reveal gorgeous blue eyes scanning the crowds of classmates, most of whom had stopped their actions to regard their attractive newcomer.

No. Logan was wrong. The most beautiful thing James owned was his face.

"Wow...he's..." Logan breathed out, surprise filling him before he shook his head, clearing his mind of thoughts he knew he couldn't think.

"Most kids feel that way when they first meet James. He can be a bit cocky, but for the most part he's a fine kid." Buddha Bob explained, meeting Logan by the window. "Actually...he might surprise you."

"How so?" Logan asked, turning back to Buddha Bob after James entered the dormitory.

With a smile, Buddha simply said, "You'll see."

* * *

><p>"Where is he?" James asked, walking into Kurt's new dorm room with distaste. The room was a double, but for the pretty boy, it was much to small for him. He liked space, room he could walk around in, and hear himself think. It was why he requested the third floor. There was a dorm suite there he established for himself his first day of freshman year, and loved the solitude of it.<p>

Well...mostly solitude. That would change by the end of the day, if everything went according to plan

"Hello to you to." Kurt replied, turning to James with a hand on his hips and a quirked eyebrow. Kurt liked James, but his attitude rubbed him the wrong way sometimes. Granted, its not like he wasn't used to diva filled attitudes. Between Rachael, Quinn and Santana, he was an expert a fielding snide comments and viscous quips dripping with venom. At least with Kurt, he had a secret weapon who could keep James under control. If only he was here now...

"Sorry..." James muttered, "It's just...been a long summer."

"No worries." Blaine said, suddenly stepping out of Kurt's closet where he had been helping his boyfriend unpack. He walked up to James with his hand outstretched, to which James shook with a slight smile. They had known each other since freshman year, and Blaine, ever the calm and cool one, was one of the few people who could let James's words slide over him without issue.

Kurt heaved a sigh, shaking his head and said, "No sightings yet. I wouldn't worry James. He's always late. Why don't you start unpacking?"

Walking into the room, James took a look at some of Kurt's clothes with a frown, "Why would I do that when I have people to do that for me?"

"You could help us unpack?" Blaine said teasingly, tossing James a smaller suitcase, "How about organizing Kurt's Streisand DVD's?"

Kurt then walked over to James, tossing a handful of clothes on top of the suitcase with a smirk, "Or organizing Blaine's blazers?"

"Don't get my weekends mixed with my weekdays." Blaine joked as James dumped the items on Kurt's bed.

"I don't think I've ever unpacked anything in my life," James answered, wiping his hands on his jeans, "Except a box of condoms."

Kurt drew his hands up to his ears, "My virgin ears!" He exclaimed.

James shot a look at Blaine, who was studiously ignoring him. With one eyebrow raised, James continued "Still huh?"

"That's none of your business James!" Kurt said, throwing a shoe at the boy who ducked out of the way. "I swear, you boys are worse than the girls at my old school. Clucking and gossiping like some hens. Instead of _Gossip Girl_ it should _Gossip Boy: Dalton's edition._"

"Hey! Its not my fault-" James began, but stopped suddenly. He froze for a moment, before reaching into his pocket and quickly pulling out his phone which was flashing with a text. Without a word, he spun on his heels and darted out of the room.

Kurt dropped the cashmere sweater and quickly followed after him. 

"Where are you going?" Blaine asked as Kurt grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the room with him.

"You think I'm going to miss this? The way you said their reunion last year was like something out of a Audrey Hepburn movie."

Blaine laughed, "You're such a romantic."

To which Kurt replied, "Don't deny it. You love it."

* * *

><p>"What the-" Logan breathed out, standing slowly and ignoring the papers and pencils falling to his lap. He didn't need binoculars to see what was going on outside the window, though he wasn't sure he could quite believe it.<p>

"Ah...the main event." Buddha Bob said, standing along with Logan. Both sets of eyes were glued to the scene in front of the window, an amused expression from the professor, and utter disbelief with Logan.

A caravan of black limos stretched across the gravel roads, each donning little Mexican flags. Logan had to guess there were over six limos. Carrying what, Logan hadn't a clue. His question was answered however, when they stopped and out poured a few men from each vehicle. Every man wore a black suit with a matching tie and dark sunglasses. They surveyed the area a moment, taking to each other and in their ear pieces.

"Who is this?" Logan turned to Buddha Bob.

"The head of national security in Mexico's son Carlos Garcia."

Logan blinked, "You'd think it was the president or something with all this."

"Well," Buddha Bob began, taking a seat back down on his ratty couch, "Carlos is the man's only son, so he's being groomed to take over major factors in Mexico."

"Whoa..." Logan breathed out. He couldn't imagine that kind of pressure to be put on him.

He was even more surprised when one of the limo's opened, and he first laid eyes on Carlos Garcia.

Carlos Garcia was...adorable.

He had bright brown eyes and a tiny mouth made for pouting. His attire consisted of jeans, chucks and zip up sweater. He seemed unaffected by his caravan, watching silently as they pulled out his luggage.

Breathing out a surprised laugh, Logan said "He looks so...young."

The professor only nodded.

* * *

><p>Carlos quietly walked up to the steps of the building, keeping his face as calm as possible when his insides felt like a hurricane. He turned back to watch the men unload his belongings. Despite the large caravan, it was essentially unnecessary. He had only five bags, and it took three out of the twenty men his father owned to bring them inside.<p>

"Leave them by my rooms door." Carlos instructed, waiting outside the building by the front door. He waited until the men went inside, then a minute later came back out without his bags. He watched them pile into the car, save one.

"Fernando." Carlos said, looking up at the man who hung back to stand in front of him. He towered over him by about three feet, his dark skin and even darker eyes regarding Carlos with a frown. Carlos noticed some graying at the mans temple, and felt instantly sadder he was about to go ten months without seeing him.

"Senor. I made sure to pack your mother's empanadas recipe. I know how much you like them when you are homesick. And I got a new winter jacket. The old one was fraying. Also-" But the man was cut off when Carlos threw his arms around his waist, burying his face into the mans chest.

Fernando lifted a hand, patting Carlos gently on the back. "Now. Now Senor. No need for tears. You should be happy yes? You are back here, where you are happy. With school, and your friends..." He placed his hands on Carlo's shoulders, pulling the boy back to smile at him knowingly, "With James."

Carlos blushed furiously before wiping at his tears.

"No tears. You get ugly face when you cry huh?" Both paused to laugh at the mans old joke. "You will be fine. I will miss you to, you know? The house is so much quieter without you. But, when it get's to much, I listen to that CD you made me. Full of the uh Michael Jackson and in synch boys."

Carlos laughed and nodded, "That CD is so old."

With a shrug, Fernando replied, "Eh. It is music. Music is never old, but always changes." He rubbed a hand on Carlos's head, trailing it down to his face. "You be a good boy. No more fights. No more broken bones."

The shorter boy nodded again before smiling, "I promise. Or...I promise to try not to do any of those things."

Fernando sighed, shaking his head, "You make my heart old with worry Senor."

Laughing, Carlos hugged the man one more time before stepping back to watch him put his black chauffeurs hat back on his head and wave good bye.

With a heavy heart, Carlos watched until Fernando got into the limo, and with one more wave shut the door. He stood on the steps until every limo was out of sight.

Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out his phone, sending a quick text. He then turned, and walked inside the dormitory.

The front foyer was the same as it had always been, with the long stair case leading up to the second floor to his right. He began to wonder if James was even here yet when he suddenly heard loud, quick footsteps on the staircase, heading down from the third floor.

Carlos stood frozen to his spot, his heart hammering loud in his chest. Three months. He had waited three, long dragged out months for this.

The footsteps, of which Carlos realized there were three sets of, got louder and louder until on the balcony of the second floor James darted into view, with Kurt and Blaine behind him.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of James. He looked amazing as usual, with his bright blue eyes trained solely onto him.

In a flash James was rushing down the last flight of stairs onto the foyer. When he reached the last step, he paused.

"James..." Carlos breathed, his body on fire with excitement and fear.

"Carlos..." James whispered. He blinked, then in three long strides crossed the space between him and the Latino.

James grabbed the boy by the collar of his jacket and pulled him in close, wasting no time in leaning forward and kissing him with every inch of passion and want he possessed.

Explosions of lust and and relief soared through Carlos, sending his mind into a tailspin of emotion. The world slowly ebbed away, and nothing else mattered. He felt every wall he carefully constructed tumble to the ground, letting only _James James James_ enter.

James pulled away to slide his arms around Carols, pulling him to his chest and resting a hand on the back of Carlo's head, running his fingers through his hair. "I missed you. God I missed you so much."

Burying his face into James's chest, Carlos breathed in deep. He could feel the tension and stress of the last three months melt away, along with every hurt and sadness that lined each day that had passed. He slumped against the boy, exhausted with the knowledge that he was home, truly home, here...with James.

A loud sob echoed through the foyer, causing Carlos to jerk back and look up to its source. Kurt and Blaine remained on the top balcony. Blaine, with a large smile, had his arm around Kurt, who was wiping his face of the tears he had been shedding.

"You weren't kidding Blaine. That...that was so romantic." Kurt sobbed. "Liz Taylor has nothing on you two."

"Guys..." Carlos moaned, his face flush with embarrassment. James kept hold of Carlos, but turned to regard his two friends watching them with a slight snarl.

"Go have your own romantic reunion. Seriously guys." James called out,h is possessive side already taking over. He grabbed Carlos's hand tight, and began leading him back up the stairway, intent on taking him to his room...their room.

"Please tell me we weren't that bad." Blaine muttered to Kurt.

* * *

><p>"It's getting late. Most likely everyone is here?" Logan asked from the couch, his eyes heavy. The sun was setting low on the horizon, and the grounds were near empty of the hustle that the day had brought.<p>

Yet Buddha Bob remained at the window, thoughtful and silent.

"I know classes don't start till the day after tomorrow. I guess anyone who didn't come today, will come then?" Logan spoke again, not sure what his professor was waiting for.

"Mm." was Logan's only response. The student sighed before standing up, stretching his long limbs and letting out a yawn.

"I think I'm going to head back. This was a really...unexpected day professor. Would you want me to-" But Logan's sentence was cut off by a hand raised by his professor.

"Okay...here he comes." Bob said.

Curious, Logan walked over to the window, looking out into the darkness settling across the lawn. He didn't see anything, but faintly the sound of a motor running in the distance became clearer.

"...that doesn't sound like a car." Logan muttered, blinking in surprise when, moments later, a motorcycle gunned up the gravel drive, dust trailing after it.

While not an expert at motorcycle's, Logan knew it wasn't a Harley...but he wasn't sure what brand it was, especially in the setting darkness. All he knew was that the person riding it, dressed in black, also had two large duffel bags tied to the back.

"Who is that?" Logan asked, eyes glued to the figure below.

"Kendall Knight. He's another one whose been here since the beginning." Buddha Bob said, his voice quiet and serious.

Logan jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. In the first place, Logan wasn't used to being touched at all unless that hand had intent to hurt him. Secondly, Logan was sure this was the only time Buddha Bob and he had ever touched, despite this professor being the one person Logan felt any sort of closeness to in his life. It was gentle, but with enough intent to cause Logan to look at the man, tearing his eyes away from below.

"Be careful around him Logan." The man warned.

Startled, Logan was silent. Buddha had little to no negative things to say about anyone who arrived that day, this was the closest he had heard anything like that.

"W-why?" Logan asked, a sick feeling seeping into his stomach. "Whats wrong with him?"

"Nothing...per se. He's a good kid. Smart, strong...loyal. It's just..." Here Buddha Bob paused, turning back to look out the window at the figure parking in front of the building, "It's just...he has such anger inside him. Just...be careful okay?"

Nodding silently, Logan turned back to follow Buddha Bobs gaze below. Logan knew about anger, knew to much about it...to well. It was one of the biggest reasons he came here, to escape the anger of his home. He was always scared he would be sucked into it, like his parents...his brother. He left, mostly so he could have a chance at a better life, but also so he would never be angry like his family. Never to let it control his life. And if Buddha Bob said Kendall was angry...then he was running as far away from that boy as he did his own home.

The figure stopped his bike, using his foot to pull down the kick stand before stepping off it. He took off his helmet, then turned...

and looked straight at the window Logan and Buddha Bob were looking out of.

* * *

><p>Darkness surrounded the campus, lit only in three places. The two large dormitories...and Professor Bobs room.<p>

Kendall's gaze shifted to the room he knew well as belonging to the one professor on this campus he actually knew was worth any sort of acknowledgment.

Suddenly, there was a flash of white and black in the window...then it was gone. Kendall blinked. The professor wasn't alone? He was curious as to who was in the room with him, but figured he would find out soon enough.

With a swift kick to the kick stand, Kendall pushed his bike around the side of the building until he came to a shed about twenty feet away from the back door. It was about ten feet tall and thirty feet wide, an old grounds keeping shed. He pulled open the door, then pushed his bike inside.

After pulling his bags off the bike, he slung them over his shoulder and exited the shed, closing the doors tightly behind him.

He turned, then headed to the back door of his home, Fletcher Manor, for the next ten months, placing his hand on the door knob. Inside he could hear the loud voices of his classmates. He knew they would all be there by now. James, Carlos, Kurt, Blaine...others. He already knew they were there, hanging out, waiting for him.

He thought back to that flash of black and white, then shook his head, leaving it alone for another day, and opened the door.

* * *

><p>"He saw us." Logan said, dropping the binoculars and taking a step back, his mind set on the boy he saw below. He was...Logan shook his head, not wanting to think about it. He didn't know why it affected him so much, the boy seeing him. Tall, blond...but his face shrouded in darkness. There was something about him...<p>

"I'm sure he did." The professor said, picking up the binoculars and placing them gently on the desk,."Help me put everything back."

Logan silently did as the man asked, pushing the couch and table back to their original positions.

"So what do you think of your new classmates?" Buddha Bob asked Logan as he grabbed the students jacket, handing it to him.

"I think this school year is going to be...interesting." Logan answered, as truthfully as he could. He really didn't know what to expect, except that he was way out of his element here. He was going to have to work twice as hard to compete with these kids. They had years of privileged, high end educations under their belts, and Logan was beginning halfway though with public school loser stamped on his forehead.

"You'll be fine Mr. Mitchell. Get some rest. You have a meeting with the headmaster first thing, then we will get you set up for your semester."

Logan nodded as they exchanged good nights, exiting the room and eventually the building. He walked silently along the path that led to the dormitories, his eyes trained onto the building that dark figure had entered not to long ago. Logan wondered how a boy with so much could be so angry, but he shook his head, dismissing those thoughts. He was starting a new life, away from things like that now. He had himself to worry about, and thinking about other peoples misery wouldn't help him one bit.

He stopped walking, looking at Fletcher Manor. The lights were on in almost every room, and he could hear loud whooping and yelling pouring out from the open windows and doors. He saw flashes of students running back and forth, their movements quick and excited.

Behind him sat Burton Manor, quietly sturdy and serene. The lights were on, but there was no noise. No movement. No heart.

With a sigh, Logan turned away from Fletcher Manor and walked towards Burton Manor, his new home.

* * *

><p><strong>So...I hope you like it! My knowledge of academy life is not so extensive, so I will do my best. Please let me know if I make any mistakes! Reviews are always appreciated! <strong>

**xoxo BA**


	4. Chapter 4

"...and that is why you are here."

Logan blinked. Once...then twice...then once more just to be sure.

"B-because we're special?" He squeaked out, hating how his voice cracked a bit, but he had never been called special before. It was all to new to him. _Everything_ right now was all to new to him.

"Yes Logan...and I'll tell you why."

Dean Griffin stood from his large chair, trailing his fingers along his mahogany desk as he walked around it until he was standing before his three new pupils. The navy blue business suit and maroon tie he wore spoke great volumes to his power in this school, and bore no suggestions for them to question that he owned every Dalton student's future.

Logan hadn't thought that he wouldn't be the only scholarship student to attend Dalton, but he had been wrong. Two other students had been chosen to get free rides as well, but in different areas of study. On Logan's right sat Dak Zevon. Mussed up from sleep brown hair, bored bright blue eyes, and a lazy frown that got deeper with every passing moment. On the other side of Logan sat Cam Roberts. Near black hair cut almost to the skin, with dark brown eyes nervously regarding his new dean.

The office itself resembled nothing of the cozy mess Logan knew of from Buddha Bob's office. Book shelves lined the walls, with untouched bindings stacked straight as soldiers at attention. Diplomas mixed with photos of Dean Griffin shaking hands with a famous someone or other hung behind his large, imposing desk.

"You three were hand picked by our most respectable and reliable faculty." Dean Griffin continued. He pointed to Dak, "You, Mr Zevon, show immense promise in sports. Between your ability to excel in football, soccer, hockey and basketball, you are destined to bring great promise to Dalton's sports division." Dak flashed him a forced, fake smirk before it fell again.

With a proud smile back at the boy, the intimidating Dean turned to Cam, who jumped in surprise at being singled out now, "And you Cam. Your performance as Titus Andronicus in the NYADA summer review was outstanding. The arts department is practically salivating to have you join them." Cam shrunk in his seat, muttering a quiet, "Thanks."

Turning finally to Logan, the Dean smiled, and took a step closer to the slightly trembling boy, "And lastly, Mr. Mitchell. We here at Dalton are known mostly for our academics. And though you excel in primarily one area, from what Professor Bob has told me, I imagine your accomplishments will greatly outweigh your weaknesses in other areas."

Not sure if what the Dean said was really a compliment, Logan offered a weak and confused, "Um...thank you?"

"Wonderful! Now I know you three are all in Burton Manor. I hope that you will get to know each other very well. As our only specialty scholarship students, I know it can be hard to make new friends when everyone had already known each other for years. So I want you all to be good to each other. Help...bridge that divide in your interests. It will be good for you...and for the school!" He walked back to his seat, waving a hand to them to indicate that they were dismissed.

Outside in the hallway, the three were as quiet as the building they were in. Classes didn't start until the next day, allowing students to unpack, catch up, and get themselves organized for the impending school year.

"So..." Dak, began, the first to break the awkward silence, "I heard that Fletcher throws a big welcome back party this time every year. You guys interested in crashing?"

"No thanks. I've got stuff to do. Thanks though." Cam said quickly and quietly, turning around to walk swiftly down the hallway.

"Oh...uh okay." Dak said, watching Cam leave. He turned to Logan, "What about you?" Then in a effort to seem friendly, he lightly punched Logan's shoulder and said with a smile, joking, "Don't make me go alone like some loser."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Logan hid his closed fists as he simultaneously felt his stomach clench. Parties. He knew about parties...or the ones where his brother took him to...and being that loser all alone there.

Or worse...noticed...

But no. This was Dalton. This was _different_. He came here to get away from the past...and he had to take the step to move forward. He had to prove he wasn't going to live that life anymore.

"S-sure. Sounds fun." Logan said, offering the boy a light smile.

Dak smiled for real this time, relief filling his eyes at Logan's answer. "Seriously? Awesome! Some guys said that it normally starts around nine. Meet me at my room then okay?"

Logan had to keep repeating his mantra to refrain from changing his mind and backing out._ It's different. It's not like back home. It's different_... "Sure. I'll be there."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you're not doing the Warblers this year!" Blaine's shriek could be heard through the hallways of Fletcher Manor, causing unsuspecting freshman to pop their heads out of their dorms on the bottom floors to gaze curiously up the marble stairs at their neighbors.<p>

Kendall stretched lazily, then rested his head on his closed fist, elbow bent onto the arm rest of the cream colored couch. His long legs were stretched out, perched upon the coffee table in front of him. They were in the common room at the end of the hall on the third floor, but it was empty besides the two of them.

Their area for lounging and studying was an envious room of pure intellect. Bookshelves lined the far wall, holding volumes of information to be used in their hardest classes. The couches and tables were expensive and often utilized by the students, between hanging out and studying. Each wall held a dark blue paint with red trim, symbolizing Dalton's colors. A giant fireplace rested quietly, waiting for the chill of winter to arrive so it could be put to good use.

"Spare me Blaine. It's not like you even need me. Between you and the two _divas_, you have more than enough people to lead the club this year." Kendall responded, unaffected by the boy before him whose face was slowly growing more and more red.

Stuttering a bit before he could continue, Blaine finally spat out,"What are you talking about? We've been working on bringing up the Warblers, _together_, for the past two years! And you're just going to bail? Now?" He paused to bring his hands up to his hair, but stopped before remembering that he had just geld it, and didn't want to mess it up. "What is wrong with you?"

With a roll of his eyes, Kendall sighed again and slouched further in the couch, picking up the abandoned book he had been reading, "Nothing. I...I just want to really focus on my studies this year." He had to force himself not to wince, knowing his excuse sounded as lame as it felt.

Scoffing at the boy, Blaine took a seat on the couch opposite Kendall's, his frown even deeper than before, "If you're going to lie about it, you might as well try to make it believable."

"I'm not-" Kendall began, but his words were interrupted by the sound of the large oak doors opening. Both Kendall and Blaine turned to regard the newcomer.

"What are you two bitching about now?" Yawned James, stretching his arms up as he padded shoeless into the common room to plop down on the couch next to Blaine. He was wearing only long black Yoga pants, and his hair was unusually all wet and messed up from his shower.

"James...could you please refrain from walking around everywhere half naked this year? Despite what you think, we really don't want to see it." Kendall snapped at the boy, burying his face into the book, hoping his friends would take it as a sign to just _leave him alone_.

Unfortunately, it didn't work. "Please Kendall. Isn't that the point of us getting the third floor to ourselves. Besides Kurt, we've all pretty much seen everything over the past two years."

Wincing at James's mention of Kurt, Blaine turned to James, pleading, "Yeah. I'm going to have to side with Kendall on this one. I _really_ don't want Kurt seeing you like this."

James let out a short laugh before laying his head on the back of the couch, "Worried your little virgin is going to come just by looking at me-ow!" He exclaimed, rubbing his arm where Blaine punched him.

"Like I said, none of your business." Blaine said.

"What's none of his business?" Came a voice from the door.

Blaine stood, his face breaking into two with a smile that was brighter than the sun shinning in from the stain glass window (courteous of a certain Ernst Hemmingway) above the far wall. Blaine had been waiting all summer to see Kurt in his Warbler outfit, and it took his breath away at how adorable his boyfriend looked in it.

Most of the boys at Dalton tried their best to keep their uniform looking clean and proper. But...they were boys. And most boys can be dirty and messy and just not used to caring about wrinkled shirts or stains on their blazers.

But not Kurt. Everything that boy owned, from his perfectly coiffed hair to the black leather shoes he wore were kept in perfect condition. His boyfriend lived and died by his wardrobe, and no matter how many scarfs, hats and knee length sweaters he owned, Blaine loved Kurt's Dalton outfit the best.

Said boyfriend came into the room, doing a little twirl before his friends. "I was worried it wouldn't fit that well. My dad had a lot of barbecues this summer. He got some supped-up George Forman Grill last Christmas and between him and Finn, I've eaten more hot dogs than a stand at the fall fair."

"Not from what I've heard-ow!" Muttered James before he had a pillow thrown at his face from Kendall and another hard smack from Blaine.

Kurt frowned at his friends, not sure what had just transpired. As much as he loved it here, he often felt out of the loop. He knew he wasn't as rich as his friends, or grew up in the same extravagant atmosphere as them, and had to often keep up with the different ways they lived their lives. It was a far stretch from life at McKinley, that he could attest to.

"I feel like I'm missing something here." Kurt said wearily as Blaine took his hand, leading him to the couch. Blaine sat down first, pulling Kurt to sit on his lap. Kurt couldn't help but blush since they were in front of their friends, but Kendall was nose deep in his book and James was still pouting at his bruise. Despite his love of being so close to his boyfriend, Kurt wasn't used to being so...PDA in front of people. He was normally lucky to get through the halls of McKinley with a rushed hello at Puck before someone made a comment.

Now he was sitting on another boy's _lap_ and no one had blinked.

Brushing his nose against Kurt's, Blaine said, "Nothing important. But what you did miss was Kendall saying how he was giving up being in the Warblers."

Kendall's groan of annoyance was drowned out by James and Kurt both standing up in shock and anger.

"What do you mean you're quitting?"

"This is ridiculous we need you!"

"We can't win without you!"

"This is not happening."

"Guys!" Kendall yelled, holding out his hands to silence their rant. He took a moment to pointedly glare at Blaine before turning back to his friends, "It's not a big deal."

As James rolled his eyes Kurt exclaimed, "Of course it's a big deal. You and Blaine are the leaders of the Warblers. You can't put this all on him. It's not fair."

"Not to mention, besides me of course, you're one of the best singers in the group!" James continued where Kurt left off, his anger evident in his voice.

"Guys...please. I-I'm just not feeling it this year. And there are plenty of amazing singers in Warblers besides you James." Kendall said, standing as well to plead with his friends to understand.

"What I don't get..." Blaine joined in, now standing to, "Is...why?"

Licking his lips, Kendall had prayed that his friends wouldn't ask him that. He just...he _couldn't_ answer.

"B-because...because-" But his words were cut off as the heavy oak doors open again.

A tentative voice squeaked out, "James?" And the head of Carlos popped into the room. He hesitated by the door for a moment, taking in the tense atmosphere between his friends, "Oh. Um...I-I'll come back l-later." As he started to back out of the room, James was already halfway to him.

"It's okay baby." The pretty boy called out before finally reaching his boyfriends side. A strong, tanned arm wrapped itself around Carlos, leading him inside the room towards the couches.

All three boys noticed that Carlos was walking with a slight limp, and looked exhausted. Though he could walk well enough, James kept a tight grip on his waist. The Latino was wearing a soft t-shirt and pajama pants that matched James's, even though it was nearly noon.

"S-sorry. When I woke up you weren't there and then no one was in their rooms so I just figured you guys were all in here-." James stopped Carlo's rant with a soft kiss before helping him sit on the couch next to Kendall. He grabbed a couple of throw pillows that had fallen to the floor and placed them behind Carlos's back, trying to make him more comfortable.

"It's okay baby. You looked so sweet sleeping there I didn't want to wake you. I'm sorry you woke up alone. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want anything?" James asked, sitting next to Carlos to grab his hand and lace their fingers together.

By now the rest of the group was sitting again, enjoying this side of James which they all preferred. It was an amazing transformation to see James when Carlos was around. Gone was the snarky, self assured diva. The moment Carlos entered the room, James was on him in an instant, cooing and fawning over the boy like he was his most prized possession.

In all actuality, he most likely was.

Blaine and Kendall had both attested to Kurt that there had always been some sort of..._connection_ between James and Carlos. Even though the two hadn't officially gotten together until the beginning of their sophomore year, they had been nearly inseparable even before then.

However, Kurt was sure that if Blaine treated him the way James did to Carlos, he would die under such smothering. But James adored caring for Carlos...and it did seem like Carlos actually needed it more than Kurt ever did.

The little Latino was desperately shy and tentative. He was always expecting the worst to happen, and often seemed lost when James wasn't nearby. Even though Blaine and Kendall assured Kurt that Carlos had a wild side, he had yet to see it.

With a small shake of his head, Carlos smiled and leaned against James, who put his arm around Carlos's shoulders to pull him close to his chest, "No thanks. What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." Kendall snapped, but using a tone not nearly as harsh as he had to the three other boys in the room.

"Kendall's quitting the Warblers." Kurt tattled, perched back on the arm of the couch next to his boyfriend with his own arms crossed and disapproving frown adorned onto his porcelain features.

Sitting up in shock, Carlos turned watery, disbelieving eyes onto this blond friend, "I-is that true Kendall?"

The tall boy winced at Carlos's voice. He knew Carlos would be the hardest person to break this news to. The boy was so damn sweet and innocent...yet at that thought Kendall couldn't help see the irony of it. Each Warbler in the room had no doubt as to all the naughty catching up Carlos and James had probably been up to since their arrival yesterday.

Kendall turned in his seat, repeating to himself, _It's not going to work, it's not going to work..._

Then he opened his eyes.

_Damn_ _it_.

"Uh...maybe."

Those big brown eyes were pleading with him to change his mind, and Kendall was damn near helpless to say no to them. Even Carlos's lower lip was trembling a bit.

A soft spot had always existed for Carlos in the tall boys heart. There was no doubt that it was because he was Carlos's first friend when the boy arrived at Dalton their freshman year. The poor Latino was still struggling with his English, and Kendall couldn't watch him suffer another day without someone to lend him a hand. And that hand brought him to the Warblers...to James.

"I...uh...I just need to see how my classes are going to be...this semester. It uh looks kind of loaded..." Kendall continued, trying to stay strong. But those _eyes_, "But uh if it's not to bad then maybe...maybe it will work?"

The weight of those eyes lifted when Carlos gave him a blinding smile, "Don't worry Kendall. If it's a lot of work I'll help you!" His enthusiasm was unquestionable, and Kendall knew he was helpless against it.

He turned to the faces of his friends, Kurt and Blaine smugly staring at him with devious smiles, knowing he was trapped. And James, who was completely ignoring all of them to whisper something in Carlos's ear that made him blush, squirm and laugh at the same time.

"Damn it..." Kendall muttered, turning back to his book, knowing he had lost this battle before it had even begun.

* * *

><p>Surveying his dorm room with a sigh, Logan slowly closed the door, wincing when it squeaked shut.<p>

For the past couple of weeks, Logan had enjoyed the quiet solidarity of having his own room...pretty much his own place. While Buddha Bob was _technically_ in charge of Logan before classes started, Logan was, for the most part, on his own.

Now that was way over.

Apparently the other two scholarship students, Cam and Dak, were supposed to be on campus as well, but were just as wrapped up in their own areas of interest as Logan was. They never crossed paths until that morning when they met in front of Dean Griffins office for their 'Welcome Meeting with the Dean'.

According to Dak, he had been staying with the head of the athletics department off campus. The man had him training every day from five am until he couldn't move anymore. While Logan thought it was a bit of overkill, Dak explained that he was going up against classmates who had grown up with private trainers and had years of minor league professional experience on him.

"I got accepted because I had potential...not because I was like the best or anything." Dak said, smiling that fake smile of his that Logan could see through all to well.

On the other hand, Cam had been on campus, but he was squatting in the theater department. His adviser, a loud and flighty woman who wasn't even on campus when Cam arrived, left Cam by himself to get used to the school and department on his own while she traipsed off to New York for some off Broadway premier she wrote. Cam didn't mind this, preferred it actually, and set up a make shift bedroom behind the stage in the Midsummer's Building where the school housed their theater. From the day Cam stepped onto campus, he had been exploring the building, it's history and the former plays and players who performed there. While Logan thought it sounded a bit lonely, Cam explained that it was all the better to insinuate himself into the theaters atmosphere and get a feel for what he was going to be up against come the beginning of school year.

"I got accepted because I was the best...but that doesn't mean that there aren't better actors out there with potential." Cam explained, half acknowledging Logan while his nose was buried in the lengthy _Kentucky Cycle_ playbook.

As much as Logan like Dak and his calm, easy going personality, Logan had lived his entire life with a jock, and so he was relieved when he had been assigned Cam as a roommate.

But that had quickly changed after only a few hours.

Cam's side of the room, which was the farthest away from the door and closest to the big window that overlooked the large lawn separating the Fletcher and Burton dormitories, was an entirely different dimension from Logan's side.

The mathematician kept his side clean and sparse, just the way he had back home. There was no use for nice things, he had learned long ago, because they often got broken in anger or stolen in jealousy. No, it was best to have the essentials. Clothing, books, his travel bag. He didn't need anything else. Nothing at all.

He swears.

On the other side, Cam lived his life differently. The far end of the room was a series of bright and dark splashes of color and mayhem. Scattered over the bed, desk, drawers, and closet were clothes from every era and personality one could think of. Books, movies, plays, and music sheets were just as haphazardly thrown around the room without any reason to their resting place. An explosion of life cohabited that side, and Logan long ago lost sight of what was Cam's and what belonged the rest of the world.

As Logan walked through the door to his room after dinner, he wasn't at all surprised to see Cam decked out in a Civil War Union soldiers uniform, practicing a southern twang in front of a full length mirror. That mirror was the nonexistent line that separated their room, placed right in the middle against the wall, the two desks flanking it on both sides.

"Y'all...Ya'll..._you_..._all..." _

"Hey Cam." Logan said, tossing his books onto his bed.

"Hey Logan. How was dinner?" The Union soldier asked, switching his baton from left shoulder to right before saluting himself. Rarely did Logan's roommate venture from his room to eat when he was in the middle of researching a character. Much to distracting.

Sitting on his bed to take off his shoes, Logan shrugged, "Uh good. They had...meat loaf." The normally dead cafeteria, or rather, dinning hall had been packed with new kids. Logan half hopped to see Dak in the room so he would have someone to sit with, but no luck. Instead he meandered over to his usual table and ate with his Applied Physics book open. Luckily he wasn't the only student doing so. Many other of his new classmates were just as preoccupied with their own text books that it, for once, didn't seem to be out of the ordinary to look like a complete nerd.

But, that didn't make it any less lonely.

Without turning back to his roommate, Cam said, "Did you know in the Civil War, Union soldiers ate beef soaked in potassium nitrate?" He scrunched up his nose, "Glad we don't have to do that anymore."

Logan did know that, of course, since he aced his every class, including history, but instead said, "Oh...that sounds...really gross."

Spinning around to fully regard Logan, Cam walked over and said, "You think that's gross? During this war they used to amputate people without anesthetics? And the infections alone-"

Holding up a hand, Logan halted the boy, "Okay. I get it. Just ate Cam."

Blinking, Cam laughed and said, "Right. Sorry." He paused to lay his baton on his bed and take off the huge hat, "You still going to that party?"

At Cam's reminder of the party, Logan's stomach did that awful clenching thing he hated, but he kept his game face on and nodded, "You bet. Sounds like a lot of fun." He held back a wince at how unconvincing it sounded. Needing some clean jeans, he wanted to attempt to look somewhat like a normal teenager who liked partying, he opened his bureau to look through his mess of hand me downs.

If Cam noticed Logan's lack of enthusiasm, he was nice enough not to mention it. Realizing his roommate was about to undress, he quickly turned away and busied himself with his outfit, muttering, "Well...just take it easy. I've heard Dalton parties can get kind of crazy."

Sliding on a new pair of jeans, Logan turned back to Cam, who was busy fiddling with his jacket and seemed kind of tense. Frowning, Logan asked for the third time since hearing about the party, "You sure you don't want to come? We can not get crazy together?"

Letting out a soft laugh Cam shook his head, "No thanks." But he lifted up his dark eyes and regarded Logan seriously, "But thank you for asking. I appreciate it."

"Sure. No problem." Logan answered, but he knew it was kind of a big deal, and understood where his roommate was coming from. He didn't need Cam to tell him his life story, he already had the basic summary of it just by witnessing Cam's obsessive behavior. They were the rejects in their lives before Dalton, and things that non-rejects might take for granted, like being invited to a party, was something as foreign to these two as beef soaked in potassium nitrate.

* * *

><p>"If you said it's okay that I don't come to this ridiculous party, why do you keep making me help you set up for it?" Kendall growled as he helped James carry a large couch to the center of the room.<p>

Though the first of the year party was often held in the small patch of forest behind Fletcher Manor, the chill in the air led them to keep open the large french doors to allow students to saunter in and out of their building through their back lounging area to escape into warmth. There was a large common room on the first floor, complete with giant TV, tables, couches, pool table and Foosball table. Outside in the woods the students could drink and hang out around the large bon-fire pit they used for these parties.

It as the only time of the year the school turned a blind eye to these activities, pending no one got hurt. As a tradition that had been going on long before these students arrived, many would expect it to continue on as far as they were all concerned.

"Kendall, we have to party, we're teenagers! If we don't party, we could die." James grunted, taking the last few steps until he dropped the couch to the floor, mirroring Kendall's heavy breathing as they took a moment to regain their strength.

Straightening up so he could wipe his hands on his pants, Kendall shot James a glare, "You are such an idiot Diamond. But there. I'm done-"

"Kendall! Can you help me for a minute?" Kurt's voice floated from the kitchen. Groaning, Kendall rolled his eyes before settling them on James, "Can you help him-?"

"Sorry. Gotta check on Carlos." James said as he darted out of the room. He had put his boyfriend on drinks duty so he wouldn't have to worry about heavy lifting. The Latino had insisted he could help James, but the tall boy waved his boyfriend off, insisting that he didn't want Carlos to risk hurting himself before his favorite party of the year. It was a lie though, instead he wanted to involve Kendall as much as possible.

Sighing in frustration, and defeat, Kendall stomped into the kitchen to see Kurt at work at the stove, furiously stirring...something.

"The pizzas are done, but I don't want to stop in case this burns. Can you get them out of the oven?" Kurt instructed, his eyes not leaving the pot of white liquid in front of him.

The kitchen was small compared to most other kitchens Kendall had been in, though not many, but Kurt insisted that it was larger than the average persons kitchen.

"We have a dutch oven and a three thousand dollar espresso machine." Kurt insisted once last year during finals when they converged into the kitchen to refuel on cookies and caffeine to get through the hellish weeks, "Normal people don't have those. Only people like Paula Dean and Rachel Ray do."

Though Kendall had no clue who those people were, they apparently owned a kitchen like this one, and Kurt loved it. The transfer student was often whipping up some kind of goodies in the kitchen for the boys, always lovingly saving a slice or portion for his boyfriend if he wasn't around at the time.

"I feel like you guys are conspiring against me to make me stay and help you." Kendall grumbled as he went to pull out the pizzas from the oven.

"What? I have no idea what you are talking about." Kurt muttered, purposely avoiding looking at Kendall. He was silent for a moment, then, "However..."

"Ugh. Here we go..." Kendall muttered quietly.

"It would be a shame to put all this work in helping us with the party to not even come for a little bit."

Sighing, again, Kendall turned to lean his back against the counter he had placed the pizzas on. "I just don't feel up to it this year. There's always next year." The blond insisted.

Tsking at his friend, Kurt lifted up the pot to pour the contents into another pot that seemed to be filled with flour. Or at least Kendall guessed it was flour...kitchen stuff wasn't really his thing.

"Yeah. Until next year when you wish you had more years left to enjoy these things." Kurt continued, picking up the bowl to place a wooden spoon in it so he could mix the contents together. He turned to regard his friend, a concerned frown on his face.

What had happened to his friend? Granted, Kurt wouldn't call him and Kendall super best friends close, but they got along well enough and both had a lot in common with music and their love of old movies. Something was off, and these walls Kendall had always kept up around his friends had somehow gotten bigger and thicker over the summer.

"It's just a party...it's no big deal." Kendall shot back, trying to keep his voice even.

Frowning at this, Kurt choose his next words carefully. It was no secret the blond had a tendency to...go off at times. But he seemed to be trying to keep himself in check.

"You know, back at my old school, I never went to parties like this. No one invited me because I'm gay and they were afraid having me there would somehow turn their cornfield keggar into disco night at studio 54." The little cook began, trying to emphasize to his friend where his point of view was stemming from, "I guess...I guess for me at least, I'm really grateful to be able to be part of things like this. And...it wouldn't be complete without all my friends there." Kurt finished, hoping his message got through.

The blond crossed his arms, searching his friends face for anything that would indicate he was lying. But no, the pale boy continued stirring, his eyes down and focused on the contents in the bowl, a slight blush on his face from revealing so much.

"You're such a pain in the butt Hummel." Kendall muttered.

_Victory_. "That's no way to speak to your cook Knight. Don't you know the number one rule in food business, never be rude to the people who handle your food?"

"Hey Kendall! You busy?" Blaine suddenly appeared at the door to the kitchen, holding up a screw driver and wearing uncharacteristic blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He frowned when he took in Kurt's fading blush and Kendall's annoyed expression.

"Don't worry. He already agreed to come." Kurt said, placing the bowl down on the counter to reach into the cupboard to pull out a large cake mold.

"Great! But...can you still help me? The only tools I'm familiar with are related to working on cars...and not by choice either."

"Hey! You said you liked helping me out at my dads auto shop." Kurt exclaimed, glancing at his boyfriend as he poured the contents into the mold.

"Well...I like coming over to watch _you_ work." Blaine said, walking towards his boyfriend to kiss him on the cheek, "All bent over the cars-"

"Okay! What did you need help with!" Kendall shouted, grabbing his friend to pull him out of the kitchen, trying to save his red faced cook from burning up from embarrassment.

Before leaving with Blaine, quickly Kendall popped his head back into the kitchen, "Did I redeem myself from breaking the food rule?"

"You're lucky I'm so forgiving." Kurt replied, unable to look at his friend in the eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes. And by the way I like chocolate frosting."

* * *

><p>Logan tried hard not to keep sneaking glances at Dak. He was desperately trying to emulate his friend. Calm, cool...and not feeling like he was about to vomit.<p>

"Glad your going Mitchell. It's nice to at least know someone there." Dak said, turning to Logan with a smile.

Forcing his own smile back, Logan nodded and replied, "No problem. But, don't you know these guys?" The brunette pointed to the group of three boys from their own dorm walking in front of them, joking and pushing each other. They were already drunk, Logan could tell, and were stumbling in the dark. Although Logan wasn't one for fashion labels, between the polo shirts, Lucky jeans and Gucci shoes, the smart boy had to wonder if these boys were wearing his parent's weekly paycheck.

"They're all right...I guess. Coach introduced me to them today during practice. Said these guys were...more on my level. Not sure exactly what that's supposed to mean, but hey tonight's just for fun right?" Dak exclaimed, slapping a hand on Logan's shoulder.

Logan flinched at the sudden, unexpected movement, but quickly tried to cover it up. These old habits were hard to break, but he knew it would just take a bit of time.

If Dak noticed, he said nothing. Taking his hand off Logan's shoulder, he nodded towards the approaching Fletcher Manor, "I guess its time for our first Dalton party. You ready?"

"I got a choice?"

A laugh...and a real smile this time, "No backing out now Mitchell. I need my wing man."

Stopping in his movements, Logan stuttered, "W-wing man?"

But the smart boys only answer was a smirk and a wink from Dak.

* * *

><p>"Okay sour puss...what's up with you?"<p>

Turning to regard the half-amused voice, Kendall's eyes landed on Blaine as the shorter boy handed him a red solo cup and a friendly ear.

The party was...as they say...in full swing. Nearly the entire student body had arrived, and between the drinking, eating, and messing around, everyone was having a good time.

Except Kendall.

"You look like you're about to be executed or something." Blaine continued, taking a sip from his own cup. Although he was trying to act lighthearted, he was seriously worried about his friend.

Knowing Kendall since their first day of school, Blaine wouldn't call himself an expert on the boy, but having spent more time in his presence than his own parents, he had a good idea of what made the boy tick, and when something was bothering him.

"Guess I just got a lot on my mind." Kendall answered, frowning at the drink before surveying his surroundings again. He was standing in a corner in the room, not really interested in participating or catching up with anyone. His scowl and standoffish demeanor was enough to keep his classmates clear of him.

Nudging the blond with his elbow, Blaine encouraged, "Then speak on it friend."

Rolling his eyes, Kendall sighed and turned to his blue eyed friend, "Don't you have a boyfriend to keep an eye out for? There are alcoholic beverages here...don't want him to start making out with some Freshman do you?" They both knew it was a low blow to an entirely unlikely scenario, but Blaine stood his ground.

A sharp laugh answered Kendall's question, "Please. Kurt is the epiphany of a good boy. Right now he's in the kitchen teaching some freshmen how to make fat free cookies." The head Warbler shook his head, a fond smile adorned on his face, "I have to worry about him about as much as I have to worry about gaining five pounds the way he hounds on me to eat healthy." Blaine's frown faded a bit when he remembered the reason why Kurt could be such a health nut. The boy had practically had his own meltdown after his father got sick. The others didn't know about Kurt's dad's health issues...and Blaine didn't feel like it was his place to explain it either.

"Well that doesn't mean you need to push your worry on me. I'm fine Blaine." Kendall said, turning back to his friend to emphasize his words. The last thing he wanted was his friends to hound on him about his problems.

Hesitating before answering, Blaine said tentatively, "I'm not trying to push anything on you Kendall. I'm just...trying to be a friend."

Opening his mouth to retort, Kendall's words were cut off as the sound of a loud bull horn echoed in the room.

Both Warblers followed everyone in the room as they threw their hands over their ears to block out the sound, simultaneously turning to regard their pretty boy friend as he held up the horn while stepping onto the coffee table, indicating to everyone in the room to pay attention to him.

"Hello my fellow Dalton-ites! I don't need to remind all of you of course, but for those of you who are newbies, _I_ am James Diamond, the head of the Warblers-"

"One of!" Kendall and Blaine both shouted out as they walked closer to their attention demanding friend.

"Ahem..._one_ of the head of the Warblers." James gritted out with a forced smile, "Anyways...I'm James Diamond and I wanted to let all of you new kids about the Warblers." He paused to survey the room, loving how everyone eyes were on him...but mostly so he could make sure his boyfriend was within eye sight. He didn't normally like to leave him alone at parties, but as long as he was close by he was okay with it.

Standing next to Kurt, Carlos was secretly trying to sneak another cookie out of the room without the porcelain boy noticing. So far he was unsuccessful. The pretty boy smirked at his loves antics before turning back to the crowd of his peers. Just as he opened his mouth to continue, he noticed a group of five boys come in through the back doors.

_Burton boys_. James mused, knowing they were from the other dormitory house since he didn't recognize them as living here and they were glancing around curiously at their new surroundings. They were all holding red solo cups and situated themselves near the back of the room, eyes now trained onto the boy standing on the table. James was more than happy to add more to his crowd.

Clearing his throat to start again, James continued, "You may have heard some things about the Warblers while doing your research about this school. But don't be fooled...it's much more important than those brochures and websites want you to believe. Here...being a Warbler...is like being a rock star." James drew the words out, letting them settle into the minds of the students around him. "If you are accepted, you'll get invited to the best parties, meet the coolest girls at competitions...and..." here he paused in his proclamation, "You'll have access to Dalton's most best...most _darkest_ secrets. Available only to heads of Warblers." James nodded to his two friends, who nodded back as well, pretending to look grave and serious. Although James could hear Kurt's quiet, "Give me a break," he ignored it to press on.

"So! Warbler auditions! Tomorrow as soon as classes are done at 3:00! No books, no laptops...nothing but your voices ready with an audition song in your vocal range. Don't be late. Blaine hates tardiness." James pointed to Blaine, who nodded and held up his cup to his blond friend who agreed with a fake shudder, "He does." Then he whispered, "It's scary."

"All right! To show you just how amazingly awesome we are, allow us to give you a preview of what it's like to be in the most awesome, baddest, and coolest glee club in all of Ohio. Hit it Litos!" James called out, cupping his hands over his mouth and bending back a bit as he shouted his words to his Latino friend.

Saluting his boyfriend, Carlos walked over to the iPod on top of the big screen TV then pressed play. Half a second later, music pumped out, fast and fun. (1: The song Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship was originally posted here, but ffnet forced me to remove it)

James smirked at Kendall's groan, turning to see Blaine give his cup quickly to his blond friend to join James on the table.

The Latino was quick to jump over the couch to stand next to Kendall, grabbing the cups quickly out of his friends hands to place them on the floor, then drag both of them both over to the two other boys.

Immediately James, Blaine, and Carlos began moving to the uptempo beat, falling in sync to effortlessly dance in choreographed moves.

Kendall threw a helpless glance over at Kurt, who had rolled his eyes at the boys but held up his hands, indicating to Kendall the blond was on his own. Soon James's voice crooned over the music, his friends quickly falling into the added parts as they danced along with him.

James jumped off the table to hip butt Kendall as the blond tried to walk away, shaking his head and pulling his taller friend back towards the group. Part of this act was to recruit new members, but mostly it was to try to get Kendall to fall in love with singing and dancing again.

Pointing to the blond, James tried to show through the song just how those words related to his friend. Quickly, Blaine took over, jumping into James's place as he grabbed Kendall's arm and spun him around, hoping to get his old friend out of his funk as he sang more.

Looking at Kurt, who was smiling widely, and his friends beside him, the hope in their eyes, Kendall couldn't resist anymore...and joined in.

As the three boys stepped back, Kendall instantly took over the spotlight, his voice clear and strong as his dance movements as he sang the lyrics perfectly while his friends backed him up.

* * *

><p>Beer had never been Logan's favorite drink. To many memories were attached to the scent...the taste. But since his choice was that or some kind of strong concoction that led to multiple boys already heaving in their dinners up in the hedges outside, Logan decided brown muck would suit him better.<p>

Although Dark and he were about to head towards the bonfire in the woods, the taller jock stopped when he heard some kind speech going on inside.

"Sounds like a preacher." Dak joked as he headed inside the room, taking in the surroundings of the much more opulent dormitory than what they lived in.

"How come their building is so much nicer than ours?" One of Daks teammates muttered, scrunching up his nose in unconstrained jealousy at the extravagant TV and furniture. Despite the fact that the boys hardly noticed Logan, the little genius was still on his guard. They were jocks, essentially, and through personal history he was going to be alert and conscious of every moment while they were in eyesight.

Answering quietly, Logan said, "Our dorm is traditionally reserved for more...studious peers. All this extra stuff is just...distractions. That's why we were told not to bring a lot of stuff like this when we got our acceptance packets."

"Sucks," said unnamed teammate number two. "I had a sweet set up with my XBOX and PS3. Coulda whopped all ya'lls asses." He joked, punching the third jock, which caused him to jostle his drink. This resulted in a half fight, half play shoving between the two. Logan wondered if he could ask this teammate to teach Cam how to say ya'll like that, since it was a lot better than any Cam had practiced.

"Sh!" Dak ordered, watching the boy on the table talk, "I think he's talking about the Warblers."

"What's a Warb-" Logan began, but the rest of his word was cut off as the music began to blast. Jumping back from the unexpected noise, Logan turned and nearly dropped his own cup.

The preaching boy turned out to be James. Beside him were the other boys Buddha Bob had told him about. Through out the day Logan had seen some of the other people Buddha Bob pointed out during moving day...but Logan had not forgotten the lovely face of James...or the sad eyes of Blaine.

Or the adorable Carlos dragging over...

Kendall.

Instinctively, Logan shrank back, pressing his small back as far into the wall as possible. He also had not forgotten Buddha Bobs tight warning about the blond. The way the professor's hand gripped Logan hard, and the sound of his voice when he told the young student to _be careful_. The warning of anger and the boy was fresh in Logan's mind, and he was adamant to stay away.

That resolve stayed strong as he watched the boys begin to sing and dance together in unison. An act Logan could tell they had worked hard and long on by the way they effortlessly moved together while having a blast.

No. Logan had every intention of politely watching the boys do their dance, then sneaking out of the side door to head to the bonfire and blend in with his classmates.

That is...until Kendall sang.

Suddenly, everything Buddha Bob had said faded away into nothing. Gone was the warning of anger and fear that surrounded Kendall. Instead...Logan wasn't sure what was there instead.

_Instead_...Kendall's voice pushed away Buddha Bob's words...and he shone. His sadness melted away as a grin replaced it. The green eyes that were previously dark and filled with secrets shined bright with the music tumbling out of his gorgeous mouth.

His breath was gone. Logan was frozen, cup to his lips but unable to move. The pressure of the sheer..._instead_...pushed him even more against the wall, and he didn't know what to do about it.

Logan knew. He was no fool. This little genius _knew_ that Kendall was dangerous. Buddha Bob wouldn't have said those words if there weren't truth behind them.

But..._instead_...

Instead Kendall's green eyes landed on Logan's...and the world _stopped._

"Logan? You okay? Logan?" Jerking back, the brunette jumped when he realized a hand was shaking him gently. Coming to his senses, he tore his eyes away from green mysteries to regard Dak, whose own blue eyes only held questions.

"Huh?" Logan called out, his voice barely audible over the noise as Dak leaned close to his ear ,staring at him strangely.

"You okay? You just got this weird look on your face. You want to go outside?"

Logan turned back to try to see the boy again, but a crowd of students had come in from outside, eager to see their classmates perform. Since he was in the back, a thick wall of bodies separated him from the dancing boys.

From Kendall.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Logan nodded. "Yeah. It's gotten way to crowded in here. Let's check out the bon-fire."

Nodding in agreement, the two went outside, but not before Logan glanced back once to more to try and catch a hint of green.

* * *

><p><em>What...the...<em>

He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. What had just happened. Who...who was that boy?

Before he could assess that he had just been hit with some kind of unnatural force, a horde of his classmates came in from the outside, separating him from this boy who had just floored him with a look with dark hooded eyes and soft pale skin. 

Behind him, he barely heard Blaine as he stood on one side of the table singing his portion of the song.

Then James replied back, smiling and dancing as well. His friends continued the song, but Kendall was quick to throw himself into the crowed, trying desperately to sneak between the masses of Dalton students clapping him on the back and yelling out comments and encouragements.

He remembered seeing some blue eyed boy had beside the dark eyed boy. They had leaned in close to talk. Were they together? He wasn't sure. They certainly weren't freshmen, nor were the Fletcher Boys. He was already familiar with the students who lived in this dorm, having met most of them when they were setting up for the party. And it was rare for commuter students to attend, since classes didn't start till tomorrow.

When he finally broke away from the crowd, standing in the spot he knew those two had been, he was frustrated to find it empty.

"Hey...what are you doing?"

Kendall spun around to see Kurt regarding him with a frown, "The song wasn't finished yet." Kurt continued, even as the last parts of _Bad, Bad, Bad_ continued on.

"I-I just..." Kendall began, turning back to the spot, then sighing, "Nothing. Never mind."

"Are you all right?" Kurt asked tentatively.

But the blond shook his head, "Yeah. I'm fine." He shouldered by Kurt, his voice short and curt with a strong hint of annoyance.

"Where are you going?" Kurt called out to Kendall's retreating back.

"Bed. Classes start tomorrow." Kendall called back, not turning to look back at his friend.

Mouth falling open, the porcelain boy ran after Kendall, "But...but the party's not over yet."

"It is for me. I'll see you tomorrow." The blond said, lifting up a hand to half-heatedly wave at Kurt.

"At Warblers...right?"

But Kendall's only answer was the sound of his footsteps as he left the room, heading up the large marble staircase...alone.

* * *

><p><strong>xoxo BA <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you everyone who has reviewed. You are the ones keeping this story going. I appreciate you all so much! **_

* * *

><p>Warbler. [wawr-bler]<p>

The dictionary describes this word as:

any of several small, chiefly Old World songbirds of the subfamily Sylvidae.

any of numerous small New World songbirds of the family Parulidae, many species of which are brightly colored.

a person or thing that warbles

Having heard of the Warblers a few times since he stepped foot on Dalton's hallowed academic grounds, Logan couldn't help but be curious as to why being a Warbler ( one who wawr-buhls ) was such a big deal.

Especially when he looked up what warbling meant. The description of yodeling, trilling or whistling with melodic embellishments was an act Logan was entirely not familiar with.

And most definitely not what he saw the other night.

However, considering how confusing that night was in general (wing man, impromptu dance party...Kendall) Logan was that much more adamant to stay hidden in his burroughs of numbers, equations and complex mathematical intricacies where he was safe and familiar.

Yet, why was he standing outside the large music room in the the east wing of Greyson Hall, nervously watching hordes of his classmates mill around the room dedicated to said Warblers, song sheets in hand and competitive determination set upon their faces.

Why?

He nervously looked down at the black and white checkered floor, then back at the elegant, old world interior that created the essence of Dalton's academic personality. He didn't have to do this. He didn't. It would be so easy to just turn right around and dash up that large, old side stairwell and hide away in Buddha Bob's office. Back into the welcoming arms of math and science that comforted him so.

But his feet were frozen, and his eyes turned back towards the Warbler room. Students milled in...none out. His competition was most likely over fifty students...he didn't stand a chance.

So he walked inside.

The conversation he had with Cam this morning went through his mind...the actor wore surprise and confusion so well animated, it were as if he were on stage.

"You...you want to try out...for Warblers?"

Shrugging, Logan had nodded, "Yeah...I know I'm not going to make it but...why not try something new? Even if its just for a day?" He paused, "Come with me. It'll be...well probably not fun but different."

"...Logan, when it comes to singing, my vocal ranges go from worse to miserable. I'm no singer." Cam said as he had stuffed his book bag with various Christopher Marlowe plays and a large pink wig. "I'm pretty sure I would be paying for new windows by the time I'm done."

"We could suck together? From what I've been told it's all the rage these days to fail miserably with another person." Logan had joked before heaving his own laden bag full of numbers and physics over his shoulder.

But Cam had shook his head, "No thanks man. I'd prefer to go to my own funeral...but have fun at yours."

Asking Dak was already out of the question. The jock had gone over his entire weekly schedule with Logan during the party, and the sporty boy was lucky to have time to sneeze.

Instead, Logan now sat on a couch alone, surveying the room and his classmates.

Carlos and James were already there. Students hung around them, asking questions or just sucking up. The Latino was most definitely the more approachable of the two, sitting on the piano and happily interacting with the younger boys with laughs and grand hand gestures.

James kept a calm, indifferent air, leaning against the same piano with his perfect hair gently hung just above his eyes. He bore no indication of being all to thrilled to be in the same room with these boys, despite the fact that he personally invited all of them just the night before.

"What song are you going to sing?" A voice asked from beside Logan.

Jumping a bit at being noticed, he turned and regarded some short, brown haired blue eyed boy who wore freshman on him like a second coat. The younger student plopped down onto the couch beside Logan, a soft welcoming smile on his lips.

"What?" Logan asked, blinking in confusion.

"Song...what song are you going to sing?" Before waiting for an answer, the boy launched into his own description, "I chose _Don't Stop Believing_. Rumor has it that it's one of Kurt Hummel's favorite songs."

_Crap...a song._ _Stupid of course you're going to need a song_. Quickly, Logan went through a mental check list of all the songs he could possibly sing for this group.

And exactly none came to mind.

The little genius was not what one would call a music buff...or a music _anything_. He preferred the silence that came with calm solitude so he could work and think in peace. The only music he was even the least bit familiar with was when his mother played ABBA when she drank wine or his brother screaming Eminem when they were in the same car together.

Musician's names escaped him, and he had never seen a musical.

_Again...what the hell am I doing here?_

"Oh my God...there he is!" The freshman squealed like a fan seeing his idol for the first time. Logan turned to follow the boy's doey eyed gaze, landing squarely on said Kurt Hummel, the boy this freshman so desperately wanted to impress.

"I've heard he started dating Blaine over the summer...but I don't think it's true. Kurt could do so much better." The freshman said, slight venom in his voice when Blaine was mentioned.

Yet Logan was half listening. His chocolate eyes were following the calm, smiling path of Kurt Hummel as he walked over to Carlos and James, softly speaking to them before rolling his eyes at James's off handed answer.

Thoughts of choosing a song flew out of his mind when Kurt turned in his direction, looking for someone specific, who turned out to be Blaine at the far end of the room getting the sound system put together. Though Logan and Kurt's eyes didn't meet, Logan felt a sharp pang of confusion and _familiar_ enter his stomach.

Granted, he _should_ be familiar with Kurt. Buddha Bob had pointed him out the same as the rest of the other interesting students found at Dalton.

But Kurt had been a good distance away, and wearing a gray page boy hat that covered most of his features. Up close, however, Logan couldn't help but feel like...like he knew Kurt. Not personally, but the familiarity had Logan almost convinced he had seen this porcelain skinned boy before.

Where, however, was the question.

Wondering if he could find his answers with Kurt's personal fan base, Logan turned to the nearly salivating boy and asked, "Kurt Hummel. He was a transfer student...right?" He vaguely remembered

Buddha Bob mentioning this, but considering the boys that followed Kurt's arrival, those details had been replaced with other interesting facts, (money, international power...anger issues). And really, there hadn't much that Buddha Bob knew about Kurt in the first place. A good student, Broadway buff...another Warbler.

Yet Logan was correct in his assumption, as the young freshman had reluctantly turned his eyes away from Kurt to nod at Logan, "Yep. Used to go to a public school not to far away from here."

"You remember the name?" Maybe that was it. They both went to public schools at one point...somehow their paths could have crossed that way. Did he used to go to his own school?

Scrunching his features up in thought, the freshman finally answered, "McKinley. Yeah...that's it. McKinley High."

McKinley...

McKinley High...

The air left Logan's lungs in a quick breath, quickly followed by his blood draining from his face to his toes.

"Are...are you all right?" The freshman said, noticing Logan's quick change of demeanor. "If you're going to be sick please leave because I don't want vomit chunks on my uniform." With that note of concern, the freshman quickly jumped up and left Logan there with his sickening realization.

He swallowed once...then twice. The room was tilting to its side as a deep memory he had hidden away under layers and layers of mental concrete was slowly breaking it's cage to resurface for air.

Suddenly, Logan stood, then swayed to the side a bit. He couldn't breathe.

This was a mistake. A huge..._huge_ mistake. What was he thinking?

McKinley High...

Logan remembered. Kurt Hummel...he remembered why he recognized that face. Why it had stuck out in his mind when those icy blue eyes turned his way.

And he needed to leave. _Now_.

Legs filled with lead slowly made their way towards the door, each stiff limb holding every intention to keep moving until they made their way back to the dorm, never to recollect back on this moment ever again.

Until green eyes and blond hair blocked his path.

Thrown immensely off kilter by the appearance of the last person on earth he wanted to see, Logan had to actually hold out his arms to keep from toppling over.

Looking up, and up...and up...Logan finally came face to face with an intense gaze and questioning frown.

"Are you trying out?" Kendall asked suddenly as his arms hung awkwardly at his sides. Despite the abruptness of his question, his green eyes never left Logan's face.

"Um..." Logan began lamely, blinking rapidly to get his bearings back. "I-I don't-"

The doors to the room slammed shut, with James turning back to survey the inhabitants with a mischievous grin.

"All right. Let the games begin. No one leaves. You're here...you try out." He commanded, walking up to the front of the room. As he passed Kendall, he reached out and grasped the taller boys shoulder, jerking him to the side to follow his path. Although James didn't even register Logan's existence, Kendall kept his green eyes on Logan the entire time he was dragged away.

Suddenly the reality of the situation hit Logan hard, and panic began to well in his stomach.

No song. Kendall's here. And McKinley High.

"Everyone take a spot. We'll go in order by school year. Freshman first, line up on the side of the room."

James continued to command the room, with Carlos and Kurt helping the boys find their spots. Blaine and Kendall watched from either side of James, both arms crossed and leaning up against the wall. Their faces bore a look of 'take me seriously' but Logan couldn't help but feel that Kendall still had his fierce green eyes trained solely on him.

Reluctantly taking back his seat on the couch, Logan miserably waited through the introductions and instructions, broken here and there by Blaine who added in his own anecdotes to the history of the Warblers, it's importance to the school, and how everyone needed to try their best and remember...there's always next year.

After the long list of introductions were set aside, Blaine continued, "Now. Since last year I was the one who did the example, this year I've given the honor to James. He'll basically show you the kind of audition we're all expecting from you."

"And remember...everyone in this room has to try out. No exceptions." Kurt warned from his spot next to Carlos, leaning against the piano. The rest of the head Warblers agreed.

Logan couldn't help but notice that Kendall had remained silent through the whole process. He wondered if that was unusual, since the other Warblers had been shooting the blond questionable looks since the introductions began.

"James...do your thing." Blaine said, sweeping an arm across the floor for James to begin.

Strutting to the front of the room, combing his perfect hair as he walked, James pocketed his comb and smiled, "Now don't get to jealous guys."

Then the music began. (1: The song Just Want To Be With You by Enrique Iglesias was originally posted here, but ffnet forced me to remove it)

The soft strings of Latin music echoed in the room, and most everyone knew what James was about to sing. Sitting up to attention, the students were eager to get another showing of James's talent.

No one noticed Carlos, hidden between Kurt and Blaine, blushing bright red as soon as he heard the music. Chancing a look at James, Carlos watched from the side of the room the boy sway and dance to the music, always getting a lump in his throat when James sang this for him. 

Here, James paused, and in a split second, his eyes turned to Carlos...then back. Carlos could feel his knees get weak. The students parted ways as James took up the whole room dancing. He smiled when the students sang with him, adding to the chorus.

The little Latino couldn't help but remember all those late nights over the phone that James sung him to sleep with this song. Here, where everyone could see, the song was fast paced and fun. Yet, during those long summers apart, at night, when they were thousands of miles away, and Carlos needed the boy more than ever, James would croon this song to him in a slow, passionate melody that was closer to a lullaby than the boy ever knew. 

Although Logan knew his mouth was hanging wide open, he couldn't believe what he just witnessed. There was no _freaking_ way he could follow that act. Quickly, he began to look around for open exits allowing him to sneak off. Or, perhaps he could fake a burst appendix. There just had to be _something_.

"All right. Great job James. Now newbies, let's see what you've got." Blaine encouraged, giving James a high five. The pretty boy had barely broken a sweat as he successfully walked away from the thoroughly schooled wannabe Warblers.

For the next two hours, various freshman and sophomores sang and danced the best they had to offer for their resident rock stars. Some were great...most not so much. Logan could see through the various shifting of expressions that filtered through the judging head Warblers what they had been thinking during each audition.

Kendall's face remained bored and silent...and still focused on a trembling Logan.

"All right! Time for the Juniors." Blaine said, waving off the last sophomore who stuttered the entire song Piano Man. James looked like he wanted to kill the boy, and between Carlos and Kurt, they were jerking awake, having fallen asleep halfway through.

At the mention of his grade, Logan clamped his legs together nervously, panic rising fast in his stomach. He reevaluated his plan of throwing himself out a window, but instead was pushed and shuffled in the group of students who were eagerly lining up to show their stuff.

Boy after boy went ahead of Logan, blowing away the previous competition with displays of pure musical awesomeness.

Until it was Logan's turn. His mind was sore with trying to come up with a song to sing. But considering his lack of musical knowledge, he was still blanking on any suggestions.

"Name." Kurt asked, holding out a clipboard to write down the trembling mathematician's name. Without realizing it, Logan winced and took a step back away from Kurt, sickness threatening to bubble up from inside out onto the floor.

Quirking an eyebrow up at the silent boy, Kurt smirked and said, "Not very helpful for a Warbler to be mute." He paused, placing the pen against his cheek in thought, "Although, I do know of a deaf choir you can join...how's your sign language?"

"What song did you bring?" Blaine asked, ignoring James's sigh of frustration at the hold up.

"I-I don't have one." Logan stumbled out, his face flaring up with heat from embarrassment but grateful to have a focus on something other than Kurt.

"You've got to be kidding me." James muttered, sending Logan an annoyed glare.

Suddenly a voice echoed from behind them, "You must know some songs."

All heads turned to Kendall, who had uttered his first words since speaking to Logan earlier. The blond stepped away from the wall, his green eyes trained onto Logan as he walked closer to the auditioning boy.

"Um..." Logan tried again, but it was to hard. Those green eyes were keeping him in place, and his mind was, for once, completely blank.

The room went silent. Everyone now very aware that something was going on, but no one seemed quite sure what to make of Kendall suddenly taking an interest in Logan, of all people.

"Kendall's right. Everyone knows a song." Carlos jumped in, trying to diffuse the awkward tension that filled the room; his words wrapped in boundless encouragement. "Even if you want to jam out to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...just sing something that you know."

_Something that you know..._

A big, bright idea formed itself in Logan's mind. He realized he should have thought of it earlier, but that other memory was to busy fighting it's way to the surface, pushing Logan's other memories to the back so it could take center stage.

Now...this memory ruled.

Nodding at Carlos, Logan offered the boy a weak though appreciative smile.

"Okay. I think I've got something."

"Hallelujah." James said, rolling his eyes and twirling his hand in a mock celebration, "That only took forever."

"Shut up James." Kendall snapped at the pretty boy, who frowned at him in return before rolling his eyes again and turning back to Logan, "You need music?"

But Logan shook his head, "No. I think it sounds better...by itself."

Though he didn't want to, Logan couldn't help sneaking another peak at Kendall, who had taken a place beside his friends leaning against the piano, arms crossed but steady encouragement evident in his eyes.

Taking a deep..._deep_ breath...he began. (2: The song I am A Man of Constant Sorrows by Soggy Bottom Boys was originally posted here, but ffnet forced me to remove it)

His choice stood out from the other pop and classic rock songs that had been the general theme for most of his competitions auditions. But this song meant a lot to him. He knew the song well. Better than most would. Last year for his Ancient Literature Studies class he had been asked to analyze a piece of art or music that related to a modern day remake of a classic they had studied that semester. Logan had chosen _I am a Man of Constant Sorrows_ because the Odyssey was one of his most favorite works in ancient literature...and he could way relate to this song.

Given that it was the theme for the movie _O Brother, Where Art Thou_, which was based on _The Odyssey_, he chose to analyze the songs meanings and how they could connect the listener to the emotions and trials of the characters in both the book and movie. It worked and he got an A, but the song always stuck with him.

Because he was good at what he did, he analyzed the song up and down, making every sort of comparison and thoughtful insight he could, which meant he had listened to the song constantly for hours. He could sing it in his sleep if he had to. Yet, knowing the meaning of this song wouldn't get him accepted, and upon that realization he nearly stumbled in his words, trying hard to avoid looking at his judges.

Knowing he would fail to be accepted no matter what, Logan turned and sang with his eyes trained on the little bird hanging in the corner, overlooking the auditions as a silent judge.

At least, with the bird, when he sucked, there would be one listener who couldn't voice his opinion.

Logan always loved this song. He knew he would the moment he first heard it. Never before had he understood when people said that lyrics spoke to them. How that made sense, he had no clue. But, after the words played themselves out to him, something shifted inside, and it seemed like, for once...he wasn't alone.

Now, here, he finished to the silence that filled the room once again. Biting his lip, he chanced a look at the head Warblers.

Each wore a similar expression of wide eyed...mouth open...no breath.

_Oh God...I sucked. I sucked so bad._ Logan began to panic.

"I-I'm sorry." Logan stuttered, unable to meet Kendall's gaze and see that same look of embarrassed disappointment. In a panic, the little genius turned and darted out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Come on Logan. It couldn't have been that bad." Cam coaxed from beside Logan's bed, awkwardly standing on the side as he regarded the lumpy bed covers shielding an immensely embarrassed Dalton student.<p>

"They were all staring at me like I grew three heads." Logan moaned out, his voice slightly muffled from his makeshift cocoon, "At least if they laughed at me I would have been used to it." Logan continued, burying himself further in.

Throwing a helpless look over at Dak, who was just as awkwardly standing there not knowing what to do, the jock tried to mentally come up with some sort of pep talk. He had heard so many over the years...how hard could it be?

"Cheer up Logan. At least you tried something new. Not a lot of people can do that. You should be proud of yourself." Shooting Cam a look, the actor raised his eyebrows in surprise at the sporty boys encouraging words.

"I'm never showing my face in school again." Logan moaned out.

Okay. So getting people pepped up was a bit harder than Dak thought.

Plan B.

Logan yelped in surprise when Dak grabbed his bedsheets and whipped them away. "What are you doing?" He exclaimed, sitting up when he realized his warm shield was gone.

"I donno. Coach always does this to me when I wont get up." He paused, tossing the bed sheets onto the floor, "Well...that and pour water over my face." Turning back to Cam he continued, "I've actually gotten kind of used to it."

"Okay well you've succeeded in getting my bed sheets dirty...how is this supposed to make me feel better." Logan asked, crossing his arms and staring expectantly at his friends.

Shrugging, Dak answered, "Like I said...I donno. You want me to get the cold water?"

Logan shook his head, gritting out, "No Dak."

A knock at the door saved all three from awkwardly trying to figure out where to go from there. Cam walked over to the door, and was about to open it when it flew open by itself.

"Hello fellow members of the esteemed Burton dorm! I've come to personally introduce myself!" A tall, blond haired blue eyed handsome boy entered the room, followed by three other handsome students who wore matching emblems indicating they were Burton students as well.

"We know who you are Jett." Dak said bored, crossing his arms to turn and regard the boy, his frown indicating he wasn't to pleased to see Jett there.

"I don't." Cam and Logan both said, standing to walk over and meet this newcomer.

Looking offended, the boy held a hand up to his blazer, narrowed his eyes in confusion before saying, "You don't?" Then he paused and waved his hand away, "Oh...of course. Normally the Prefects give a welcome speech on moving day. But my trip to Ibizia was just to much fun I couldn't tear myself away." Holding out his hand, Jet walked over to Logan, then Cam, introducing himself as he shook hands with his classmates, "The names Jett Stentson...your resident Prefect."

"How come you know him?" Logan asked Dak, turning to the boy who seemed entirely unimpressed by Jett's arrival.

"We're on the hockey team." Jett answered proudly.

"Yep. Jett's the co-captian." Dak said, this time a small smirk appearing on the side of his mouth.

This statement seemed to rub their Prefect the wrong way, because his eyes grew sharp at the mention of co-captian, and he harshly shot back, "For now. It's a new year and we'll see what happens at tryouts this weekend."

The competitiveness was fierce in Jett's eyes, and Logan had to wonder if it was directed at Dak or whoever the current captain of the team was.

"Anyways," Jett said, clapping his hands to try and get things back under his control again, "I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything..." here he paused then turned to the three bored looking Abercrombie and Fitch drones behind him, "You can ask my associates here. I am much, much to busy with my own life than to be dealing with whatever problems you little people have. But they would be happy to help."

By the look of utter disinterest on these boys faces Logan had to wonder if this was Jett's way of trying to be helpful. It was unfortunately failing miserably.

Suddenly frowning, Jett took a long look at Logan's messy bed and the sheets on the floor, then added offhandedly, "Oh and try to keep your dorms looking presentable. Dean Griffin often has visitors come, and they could ask to see a students dorm anytime." He walked over to the full length mirror in their room and started straightening his blazer and wiping off imaginary dust on his shoulders, "Lord knows he's not going to be taking anyone over to Fletcher. Those boys are pigs." He smile at his reflection, please at what he saw.

"Sorry." Logan said, walking over to grab his sheets, face red with embarrassment from Jett's words.

"The result of a not so good Warbler try out." Cam offered, trying to help Logan. He didn't want their prefect to think Logan was a slob. The boy was so perfectly neat it borderlines OCD.

Turning back quickly to regard Logan, who was busy smoothing out his sheets, Jett shot out, "You tried out for Warblers?"

Frowning at his sharp tone, Dark raised an eyebrow and answered for his friend, "So?"

"So...so Burton students don't normally try out for Warblers. It's...just not done." He paused, "Normally."

"But...there aren't any rules against it." Dak countered, at least hoping his words were true, "As far as I know it's a school club...not a dorm specific group."

Trying to back track, Jett let out a forced laugh and waved away Daks hidden accusations, "No. No. It's just...here at Burton we are very wary of distractions. We want to make sure our students can maintain the grade point average worthy of a Burton student. Often taking on...silly and needless extracurriculars can create unnecessary set backs for a student." Jett walked over to Logan, staring at him intently, "I wouldn't want to see you fall behind. You are on a scholarship...aren't you?"

Logan nodded, not sure how he felt about what the boy was insinuating.

"That's right. It would be just awful for you to loose your scholarship because of something as time wasting as singing and dancing." Jett continued, raising his eyebrows to indicate that Logan should agree with him. "It would be an embarrassment to Burton should your grades get lowered."

But the brunette couldn't help but blurt out, "But...isn't hockey be an extracurricular?"

Dak had to smother a laugh, trying to cover it with a cough, looking away at the stunned and slightly angry Prefect.

"That is _different_." Jett chocked out, then turned away from Logan and began walking towards his friends. He turned back to Logan, and with a warning in his voice that was reflected in his eyes, he said, "Like I said Logan...we wouldn't want you to get bad grades. I suggest you think long before dedicating yourself to a needless time waster. In this dorm...there are repercussions for making Burton students look bad."

And with that cheery note, Jett turned and walked away with the three boys following him.

As Dak went over and shut the door, Cam blurted out, "Well it's a good thing I didn't say I was an actor...I think he would have pissed himself at the amount of uselessness in this room."

All three looked at each other before bursting out laughing.

* * *

><p>The common room on the third floor of Fletcher Manor was an explosion of lists, names and faces. Four out of the five boys were running around, frantic as they tried to nail down the list of new additions that would soon become part of their elite group of singers.<p>

A large whiteboard sat in the corner, names crossed off, added in, circled, or bearing question marks filled the white space.

"What about Sam Jones?"

"I really liked that red head."

"No. No. No we can't use another guy who thinks that rapping is what the Warblers are missing."

Amused, Kendall watched his friends pour over the names of the boys who auditioned for their club. There were loads to choose from, but he had only one in mind. Granted, that boy was always on his mind. When he walked into the music room, he had no clue that he would run smack dab into the boy who had been teasing his memory all day.

Call it coincidence, fate...whatever. But Kendall wanted nothing more than to drag that boy out of the room and spend the rest of his life getting to know him. He couldn't understand it. There wasn't a thing he knew about that shy brunette, but he was determined to find out more.

"What about that kid...the one who ran off after singing?" Kendall said, shocking his friends into a moments silence.

All four turned to him, then James sneered, "The one you actually deemed worthy of acknowledging?"

"Yeah what was up with that?" Blaine said, walking over to his friend, "You were dead silent for so long I thought you were asleep standing up."

"And suddenly this kid comes out of nowhere and suddenly you become mister helpful?" Kurt continued, walking over to the couch where Kendall was stretched out on to knock his feet off so he could sit next to him, "If I didn't know better I would say our Kendall is smitten."

Choosing to ignore Kurt's comment, Kendall said "It's to bad we didn't get his name." Or his phone number...or where he lived so Kendall could just find him...and never leave.

"Yeah...he was amazing." Carlos agreed from his spot on the floor. James was leaning against the second couch on some pillows, and had his Latino boyfriend wrapped up in his arms.

All five silently agreed.

None of them had been expecting the shy boy who could barely stutter out a sentence to open his mouth and sing with the grace and sound of an angel. It took nearly a minute after he finished for them to register that the student had thought their stunned silence meant he was terrible. By the time Kendall had taken off after him into the hallway...he was gone.

"Well he's definitely not a Fletcher student. I haven't seen him in this dorm at all." Kurt said, turning to his friends to see if they had a different answer, but they all had nothing to offer.

"So that leaves a commuter student...or a Burton boy."

James snorted at that as he ran his fingers through Carlo's hair, earning an appreciate moan from his love. "Burton guys never try out for Warblers. They all say how it's stupid and a waste of time." His voice held an edge to it, making it known that the words cut deep.

"But also I think he's new. I've never seen him around campus before. He might not know how its a mostly Fletcher thing." Blaine said, offering his theory.

"But it's not totally excluded to Fletcher guys." Kurt said, "Right?"

James shook his head, "Whatever. It doesn't matter how good he is. The last thing we need is another hot shot from Burton coming in acting like he's the shit. Hell, we don't even know if he can dance." But each boy knew they could teach anyone how to dance...it was the singing that mattered. You were either born with a voice, or not.

And this team of singers wanted Logan's voice.

Carlos turned to his boyfriend with a frown, "I don't know James. He was really good." He paused and gave a small shrug, "I actually think he was the best singer out of everyone there."

Tossing a small pile of names on the coffee table, Blaine sighed and sat next to Kurt, who nodded at Carlo's words, "Carlos is right. We have no idea who our best auditioner is because he totally pulled a Cinderella act on us."

Turning to Kendall with a smirk, Kurt casually leaned back into the couch, crossing his arms and legs and saying in a much to casual way, "Oh...if only we had a prince charming to help us find him."

Kendall rolled his eyes at Kurt as he stood, grabbing his blazer he had left on the opposite couch.

"Where are you going?" Blaine questioned his friend, curious.

Sighing, Kendall shot his friends a look before slinging the blazer over his shoulder, "To look for a glass slipper."

* * *

><p>Buddha Bob looked up from his computer when he heard someone knocking on the door to his office. Frowning as he wondered who would be looking for him so late at night, he stood and crossed his office, opening the door with a look of surprise.<p>

"Surprise."

Blinking, the math professor stepped back and said, "Kendall Knight. I was wondering when you'd show up."

A wave of almost sheepishness flickered across his features, and politely Kendall said, "Can I come in?"

Hesitating for a moment, Buddha Bob nodded and stepped back, allowing the boy to pass through the door.

Kendall surveyed the general mess of the office, a soft smile falling onto his lips. "Still the same mess."

"Looks a lot better than it did the last time you were here." Buddha said, closing the door and turning back to the student who tensed slightly at his words.

Nodding but remaining silent, Kendall laid his blazer on the ratty old couch, then walked over to the desk, sitting in the chair in front of the old wooden furniture covered in papers, books and Plungie. He surveyed the plunger with a small smile before shaking his head and letting it fall into his hands so he could run them through his mess of blond locks.

"There a reason for this impromptu visit Knight?" Buddha said, sitting in his own desk across from the blond. Caution tensed his movements, but he wouldn't back down. Not here, in his office, his territory...his home.

Looking away from the professor for a moment, Kendall gathered his thoughts before turning back, "I'm sorry."

This had not been what the math professor was expecting. An excuse, a crazy story...anything but this.

"I-what?" Bob said.

Sighing again, Kendall said, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I should have come here first thing to say this, but I was scared you'd punch me in the face the moment you saw me."

Silence filled the room as Buddha Bob regarded Kendall.

"Please...say something." Kendall begged, unable to read the mans face.

"What brought this on?" Buddha Bob asked, genuinely curious.

Kendall sighed and rubbed his face again, "I-I've been such an idiot. It was wrong of me to do what I did last year...put you in that kind of spot and then take off like I did. I-" He paused here to gather his thoughts, knowing he was rambling, "I want to change. To be better than...who I was."

"Kendall...you tore apart my office in the biggest fit of rage I've ever seen. You need help. You need to see someone about what's going on inside of you." Buddha Bob explained. He didn't want to say it out loud, but the boy did need to deal with whatever it was inside him that took him to places he was much to young to go to.

Kendall was silent for a minute, then said, "I'm working on it. I am. I haven't gotten angry. I've been keeping myself in check-."

"None of that matters unless you get to the root of whats causing that anger." Buddha Bob explained, leaning in close to the boy who still couldn't look him in the eye because of his shame. "If you don't...you're no better than a ticking time bomb."

Swallowing, Kendall said, "I know. I-I'm just not ready to go there yet."

Buddha Bob sighed, but nodded. He had spent countless hours trying to help this boy, but knew by now that Kendall had to met him halfway if he was going to get better...or get anywhere really.

"I actually have another reason for coming here." Kendall said, offering the professor a small smile.

"Oh? I can't imagine it's for math help. A bit to late at night for algebra." The professor said, attempting at the joke. Both acknowledged that Kendall hadn't been forgiven...but it was evident that the Professor didn't want Kendall to think he was still mad at him.

Buddha Bob wanted to find common ground again so he could help Kendall, and Kendall needed that support he couldn't find anywhere else.

"No. It actually has to do with the Warblers."

Buddha Bob quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? How can I help you with that?"

"There was a boy in your office the other day...moving day...wasn't there?" Kendall asked, looking up at the man for a confirmation. Though there had been a distance, Kendall was sure that those chocolate eyes he had seen twice were the same he had seen here, watching him on moving day.

"I don't see what that has to do with your club?" Buddha Bob said carefully, not sure where Kendall was going with this.

"I think he tried out for the Warblers...but took off before we could even get his name. I was hoping to find him to ask if he'd like to join."

"Logan?" Buddha Bob exclaimed in surprise at the thought of the quiet math genius trying out for a glee club, before realizing he had just said the boys name out loud.

"Logan." Kendall repeated, smiling at the name. He liked it...a lot.

Clearing his throat, Buddha Bob shook his head, "I-I'm not sure I understand. This boy-"

"Logan." Kendall prompted with a small, cheeky smile.

Huffing at his own mistake, Buddha ignored him and said, "A boy tried out for the Warblers, and you want me to give you private student information to find him? Kendall...you know I can't do that."

"I don't need his social security number, just want to know where I can find him."

"Well I'm sure if you keep your eyes peeled you can catch him on campus." Buddha began to stand, indicating this conversation was over, but Kendall continued.

"But campus is such a big place! If I just knew if he was a commuter student...or belonged to Burton..."

"Good night Kendall." The professor said, walking over to the door.

With a sigh Kendall stood, "Burton students never try out for Warblers anyways."

"Well you will just have to find out the hard way." Buddha Bob said, opening his office door.

"And I'm sure he would be much to busy studying Applied Geography-"

"Applied Geometry." Buddha Bob interrupted, then winced when Kendall smiled. "Leave. Now." Buddha Bob said, pushing Kendall out the door.

"Well its a good thing he's living in Fletcher-"

"Logan would never be able to concentrate in Fletcher. Burton has-" Then paused again, then narrowed his eyes at the boy. Tricked again.

"Thanks professor! See you in class tomorrow!" Kendall said, smiling and turning away, tossing his blazer over his shoulder.

Slamming the door shut, Buddha Bob let out a frustrated sigh as he shook his head...then smiled.

"There's hope yet for that boy Plungie,"

The plunger silently agreed.

* * *

><p>Darkness. A solid one that if Logan could push hard enough into the abyss he could feel chunks of it fall into his face. Cold, soft caress that smelt of death.<p>

Air was scarce. He knew he hadn't much time...but he was so tired. His body ached and hopelessness drew his arms back and encouraged defeat.

_You'll die down here..._

He shook his head. What point was there to fight back? What had he to fight for? A family that didn't want him, an school that tormented him, a future not worth saving...

Wait. That wasn't true anymore. No. He _had_ a future worth saving. Why? Why was that different now...?

_Dalton_.

Logan opened his eyes...but even though he could only see darkness, there was a flash of something that gave him hope. Something that reminded him that above the cool darkness, there was something worth clawing his way out for.

_Dalton_. A real future...

And a flash of green that made sense and no sense at the same time.

So Logan pressed against the darkness again...and fought back. He clawed, and scrapped, and dug his way out of the darkness. Even though those clumps fell around him, and he could feel the world closing in on himself, he kept trying.

And trying.

And _trying_.

He couldn't breathe...but he couldn't stop. There was hope on the other side and he needed to get to it.

And then...he broke through. His hand connected with air and and tried to pull himself up. But suddenly a hand grabbed him tight and pulled him forward, breaking the hold the darkness had on him as he reached the surface. Sweet air filled his lungs, and the smell of fresh earth surrounded him.

As he looked up to thank his helper...he stopped. The helper leered at him with such evil familiarity, Logan wanted to crawl back into his hole and die.

He looked around. Faces that shared the helpers devious look advanced onto Logan, and the memory he had pushed back for so long came springing forth into life.

And Logan woke up screaming.

* * *

><p>Because of this websites rules I had to remove the songs lyrics.<p>

Was Enrique Iglesias-Just Want To Be With You

Was Soggy Bottom Boys-I am A Man of Constant Sorrows

**xoxo BA**


	6. Chapter 6

Math and Science. The great loves of Logan's life. In their embrace is where he belongs...safe amongst numbers, equations and the great mysteries that surround the earth.

Safe.

Such a simple word that so many take for granted. Logan could easily attest that he had rarely felt safe in his life...even less so during high school. But everything is different now. Dalton is safe. Math is safe. Everything is just...safe.

So...why did he feel so bad about the whole Warblers debacle? He had no business being in a club where people sang and danced and...had _fun_. That wasn't safe. Joining would have opened up a whole world of unsafe possibilities for Logan. He couldn't act, could _not_ sing...and hadn't the first clue about how to behave on stage.

Yet, as he stood at the far end of the hallway, looking at the door to the Warblers choir room where callbacks were posted on a single sheet of white paper, Logan couldn't help the feeling of disappointment spreading through his body. For some reason...this one time...he didn't want to be safe. He just wanted to feel...something...no matter how unsafe it was.

A strong hand clasped him on the shoulder, and after jumping in surprise (and fear) out of pure habit, he turned to regard Dak, who had a sympathetic smile for his shorter friend.

"You look yet?" Dak asked, nodding to the door that was currently surrounded by various hopefuls, eager to see their names on the short list.

"No. And there's no way my name is on there. I didn't even give it to them. Not that they would have called me back anyways." He couldn't help the sigh of disappointment escape his lips.

Squeezing Logan encouragingly, Dak said, "Don't worry about it Logan. There's always next year. Now you have more time to work on your math stuff right?"

Turning to his friend, Logan smiled. Not because of Daks words, which did nothing to cheer him up really, but because, for once in his life, a classmate was actually being nice to him. Dak could be speaking a whole other language, but the fact that he had someone being friendly to him...well...that meant more than any pep talk in the world.

"Yeah...thanks Dak." Logan answered with a genuine smile, then turned and walked down the hallway with his friend.

* * *

><p>While some might find it outdated, Logan loved the old century look and feeling to Dalton's classrooms. There were no more than fifteen pupils to each class, and while every student was not exactly comfortable in their desks and wooden chairs, they accepted that as their plight in exchange for enduring an advanced education.<p>

Though this was only Logan's second day, the little brunette couldn't believe how much he was already learning. Everything here was entirely different from the half-assed public school education he suffered through the last two years.

Updated text books. Educated teachers with PhD's. Classroom technology that his previous teachers could only _dream_ about.

As far as heaven goes, Logan was sure he had died and moved up there, first class all the way.

He took a seat towards the back, as usual. Though he doubted anyone would call him a nerd for sitting up front (this was Applied Physics after all..._everyone_ was a nerd here) old habits died hard. The back was his safe spot, and after the crumbling failure of his Warblers audition, Logan had decided that keeping it safe was his best course of action for about...well...the rest of his life.

Though it was a few minutes before classes began, Logan already had his notebook and text book open (edition 2012..._not_ 1992 like his last one), and was ready for learning. As he was perusing through the first chapter his professor walked in, encouraging everyone to take their seats just as the bell rang. The elder man was in his mid-forties, tall with shaggy brown hair and tired eyes around a long, serious face.

"All right guys, I went easy on you yesterday. I always like to go over the basic history of physics so you understand why it's so important for us to keep learning about it and understand how much there is to discover in the world...and outside our world. Today, I want to talk about some theories involving-" but the professors voice was cut off by the sound of the classroom door swinging open.

Just like everyone else in the class, Logan turned his head to regard the late student...then dropped his pencil as he gripped his desk tight.

No..._way_...

"Sorry I'm late. Had to stop at the registers office. Needed to get some stuff signed before I could switch classes. I'm-"

Confused, the professor held out his hand to grab the papers his new student was holding. "I know who you are. What I'm not sure about is why you are here?" Looking up at the student, the teacher continued, "You've never taken any physics courses here...as far as I know. Why now?"

Those green eyes...that side smirk...they both slightly turned to Logan, who was barely still sitting in his seat.

"Just felt like trying something new this year."

Sighing in frustration, the teacher held out his hand towards the sea of desks, "Well...it's your choice. Let me know if you need some help catching up Mr. Knight."

Nodding, Kendall walked to the desks, taking a seat...right next to Logan.

"Thanks teach. Maybe I'll have to invest in a tutor then."

Logan didn't need to look sideways to know that Kendall was looking at him when he spoke. He could only pray that his face didn't look as red as it felt.

* * *

><p>Three classes. Kendall Knight was now in three of his classes! As of yesterday the boy Logan was hell bent on avoiding until graduation didn't even enter this building for his classes, as far as Logan knew. Now Logan could barely concentrate as Kendall chose a seat next to Logan in each class.<p>

After the bell rang, Logan always made sure to jump up and dart out of the room, quick to avoid Kendall. Though he wasn't exactly the most slick at acting nonchalant, he was able to make it through the day without Kendall catching his attention.

When the break for lunch came, Logan darted up to Buddha Bob's office to avoid running into Kendall...or any of the Warblers in general. The office was empty, and Logan flounced onto the ratty old couch with a heavy sigh.

Though he'd been denying it for a while, Logan couldn't help but wonder why Kendall being around bothered him in the first place? They'd barely exchanged a conversation, and the fact that they were now in a few classes together could just be a coincidence. Tons of people switched classes, and it could have been for any number of reasons. A _million_ reasons.

But...a weird feeling in his gut rolled around heavily, and he couldn't help but feel like those piercing green eyes were trained on him for a reason.

What that reason was...well...Logan wasn't sure he was ready to find out.

* * *

><p>Darkness had already begun settling across the academy as Logan trudged up the stairs to his room. The quiet noises of his classmates moving around behind closed doors was a calming sound to Logan, and he intended to let it sooth him to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillows of his bed.<p>

Luckily, after the rest of the afternoon classes began, Logan hadn't a single sighting of Kendall. Perhaps the boy got the picture that Logan wanted to be left alone, or had found that three classes that focused on various ways to analyze complex scientific theories and equations was not something Kendall felt like 'trying out.' Just to be sure, Logan made his way over to the library to study there for a long while, completely missing dinner.

Either way, Logan hopped that tomorrow the blond would go back to wherever he was when classes started, and they wouldn't have to cross paths ever again. Not Kendall...not the Warblers...nobody.

Swinging the door open, Logan trudged into the room, thankful to be back, and tiredly groaned out, "Hey Cam..." but froze when he came upon the sight before him.

"Oh hey Logan! I was wondering when you'd be back." Cam exclaimed, then turned to the guests in their room, "Told ya he'd turn up eventually."

Even though Logan was sure his mouth was hanging open like some fish tacked up on a wall, he couldn't find his motor skills to close it. "Um..." He began, but before he could even comprehend what to say next, he was immediately cut off.

"Hold it. I want to hear the end."

"You will James, just be patient!"

"But Carlos, this is my favorite part!"

"Will you guys _please_ be quiet. Blaine do you have anymore tissues?"

"Here babe. Seriously Kurt...you're such a sap."

Spread out in various spots in his room were the Warblers that Logan had thought, only moments, ago he would never interact with again.

Cam and Carlos were both decked out in ridiculously flashy garb with their Dalton uniforms poking out from under the openings of the costumes. They seemed to be reenacting some sort of play, with Cam dressed up as an old world Egyptian and Carlos as a replica of (Logan thought) a Pilgrim.

The other three were in various spots in the tiny dorm room. All of them were wearing various pieces of Cam's endless array of costumes. Kurt and Blaine were in the desk chairs, leaning close to each other to whisper about the play. Blaine sported a Roman soldiers chest guard with his gladiator helmet. The Robin Hood hat and bow and arrows in Kurt's hands made him look like a softer version of the British hero. And James was comfortably seated on the edge of Cam's bed, draped in a long cloak and tossing a Phantom of the Opera mask casually in his hands.

Okay...but no Kendall at least...right...?

"Hey Logan, did you get the answer to number six on the physics homework?"

_Damn it..._

Trying to suppress a shudder, Logan slowly turned, silently praying he was wrong.

No. He was right.

"I thought I got it...but it was a little tricky."

Kendall Knight was nonchalantly leaning against the wall next to his dorm room door, a casual smirk adorned onto his face as he held open their text book from this mornings class. Those green eyes were still as piercing and mysterious as they were in the bright morning light. He was the only one not wearing a costume.

"Homework later...let them finish." James snapped, nodding for the two to continue on with their performance.

"Let's get a seat, don't want to miss the show." Kendall said quietly, shutting the book with a soft snap before walking over to Logan. He gently tugged Logan's battered old messenger bag (courtesy of the lost and found at his hometown library) off his shoulder, before leading them both of them over to Logan's bed.

A part of Logan wanted to turn and run out the door, but confusion mixed with sincere curiosity convinced him to stay. He couldn't help the tingles that flew through his arm when Kendall gently touched his elbow to get him to sit on the bed next to him.

_Oh my God. I'm on my bed...with Kendall..._ Logan thought. As much as he tried to focus on the acting in front of him, his mind only registered that Kendall was sitting quietly next to him...on his bed.

The sudden sound of clapping jerked him out of his confused thoughts, and he saw Carlos and Cam bowing from their makeshift stage, laughing along with their friends.

"Bravo!" James exclaimed, jumping up to twirl Carlos in his arms. Laughing, the Latino twirled with James before grabbing Cam to join in.

"You guys are ridiculous." Kurt said with a smile, looking up at the three before turning back to Kendall and Logan who were seated on the bed. His smile grew a little more when he saw Kendall looking at Logan curiously...and Logan looking straight ahead like a deer caught in the headlights of a oncoming tractor truck.

"Um..." Logan finally squeaked out, causing everyone who was not already looking at him to turn in his direction, "Not that I'm complaining or anything...but what are you all doing here?" He could feel his face flush red, but the words were out and honestly...he really wanted to know what was up.

"Well..." Blaine began, standing and taking off the helmet, "We wanted to know why you weren't at Warbler practice today."

"Warbler...practice...?" Logan began, confusion etched openly on his face. "What do you-?"

"Yeah. Attendance is mandatory Logan." James said, annoyance evident in his voice. "We'll let it slide once...maybe twice if you, ya know, end up in the hospital for climbing a tree in the winter that happens to be over a lake and then falling off that tree into said lake and needing to be rushed into the ER for hypothermia." James said, turning to the Latino who was taking off his hat. By the look in his eyes, Carlos knew James wouldn't forget that little incident any time soon...or..._ever_ really.

Blushing with a roll of his eyes, Carlos exclaimed, "That was _one_ time." He paused, then quietly muttered, "Last year..."

"Anyways..." Kendall cut in, eyes focused on the brown eyes that had now settled on him. He tried to keep it casual when he reached out and let his hand fall onto Logan's shoulder, but his heart did a little dance when the shorter boy sucked in a breath and let a little tremble fall through his guarded exterior. Kendall wondered if he felt the boy shudder when he touched his arm before, but he wasn't sure. Now...he had no doubt.

"We wanted to make sure you were all right. I saw you in classes today, so we were all really confused when you didn't show up for practice." Kendall squeezed Logan's shoulder for emphasis, smiling to show the boy that everything was all right.

"Hold on." Cam exclaimed, now fully back into his Dalton approved attire, "I thought Logan totally bombed the audition." He walked over to his friend, arms crossed and just as confused as the boy before him.

Logan didn't look at Cam when he spoke. Those green eyes held him captive, and his mind was back in that _Oh my God he's touching me_ state that made him unable to process much else. But then he blinked and reality sucked him right back to where he needed to be.

"Y-your right Cam." Logan stuttered, standing from the bed and taking three long strides away from Kendall, emphasizing the need to break the contact. "Is this some sort of joke? Because I would think my horrendous performance would be enough fodder for you guys for a while." He turned to the five boys, even more confused as they all turned to each other and back to Logan, confused as well.

"This isn't a joke Logan...we want you in the Warblers." Kurt said gently, standing from the desk chair to take a step towards Logan. But the brunette sucked in a quick breath and stepped away, his head down and his eyes avoiding the pale boy. Kurt stopped in his tracks, casting Blaine a confused glance to see if his boyfriend noticed Logan's sudden weird behavior. By the equally confused look on Blaine's face, he knew that he had.

"Look Logan." Carlos exclaimed, finally bouncing out of his outfit and unaware of the quick transition, "You were great in the audition. Really great. We're sorry if you thought that we didn't like it. I guess we were just surprised."

With a frown, Logan turned to Carlos, "Surprised?"

"We honestly didn't think you'd be that good." James said, resuming his comfortable seat back on Cam's bed.

"James!" Carlos admonished, turning to the boy with a pleading look.

"What?" James exclaimed, holding out his hands with a shrug, "We didn't. He shows up with no music, can barely say his own name...what do you expect me to think." Sighing, James had to ask, "How did you learn to sing?"

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Logan muttered, "I-uh...I don't know how to sing."

"Then why did you try out?" Carlos asked.

Logan shrugged, not sure how to answer. But luckily he was cut off as James jumped out of the bed, frowning as he stalked over to the boy. "Wait. Did you say you don't know how to sing?"

Shaking his head, Logan answered, "Uh...no...nope."

"So all that was just what you pulled out of your ass last minute?" He paused with a scoff, then said, "No way. I don't believe it. Can you read music?"

Logan shook his head.

"Have you even sung in front of people before?"

A pause...then another shake.

"So you just...tried out for Warblers on a whim?"

"Uh...yes?"

Rolling his eyes, James threw his hands up in the air before turning around, huffing out, "Unbelievable."

Leaning back against the desk, Kurt shook his head, "Relax James. So he can't read music...he can learn." But James only huffed and crossed his arms, shaking his head.

"Honestly James..." Blaine said with annoyance before turning to Carlos, "Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something today?"

Blinking a bit in surprise, Logan couldn't help but wonder why Blaine asked Carlos that, but not James.

"Either way it doesn't matter." Kendall announced, standing from the bed as all eyes turned to him. He had watched the conversations with amusement, but didn't want it to go much farther. The last thing he wanted was to scare the boy away. "Logan, you tried out for Warblers...you got in. Are we going to see you at tomorrows practice or not?"

"Um..." Logan began, but James shot forward, walking up to Kendall, surprise on his face.

"Kendall...he hasn't performed, doesn't know how to read music, and just because he sounds good...that a Warbler does not make!"

Brushing the prima donna aside, Kendall walked over to Logan, slinging an arm around the shorter boys shoulder. He would be lying if he said that it didn't thrill him to feel the boy shiver again at his touch. With a smirk at the confused boy, Kendall then turned to the room and simply stated, "Then I'll teach him."

Silence.

"Come again?" James asked, then winced when Kendall's smirk only grew.

"I'll...tutor him." Turning back to Logan, who had his mouth hanging wide open, which only fueled more dirty thoughts in Kendall's mind, he continued, "How about it? Warbler lessons in exchange for deciphering that mess of physics and math."

"I uh...yeah...that...that sounds good." Logan stuttered out, not believing what he was agreeing to. But his stomach did flips at the wide smile that grew on Kendall's face after giving his answer.

Letting out another huff, James threw his hands up and said, "Fine. Whatever. Do what you want. But don't come crying to me if he screws up sectionals for us."

"Oh come off it James." Blaine said, giving his pretty friend a quick glare before turning back to the two. However, he would be lying if he didn't say he was worried as well. Ever since Kendall stepped foot on top campus, he had been off. And now with this sudden interest in this boy...it only made Blaine more suspicious that something was up.

Kurt saddled up to Blaine, smiling at the two, but it didn't quite reach as high as it would have if his eyes didn't hold apprehension, "Did you see...?" His boyfriend whispered, and Blaine nodded, indicating Kurt didn't need to continue. They both hadn't forgotten then strange look Logan shot Kurt earlier, and neither could fathom its origin.

"Where do you think it came from?" Kurt whispered again, watching as Cam bounced over to Logan to exclaim his congratulations by reciting some Shakespeare.

"You got me...but I have a feeling we'll find out at some point. Kendall doesn't seem intent on letting go of Logan anytime soon." As he watched Carlos go over to sooth James, who was sporting a serious pout, Blaine made a mental note to corner his tall blond friend at some point tonight, and find out just what he has in mind for this poor, blindsided new Warbler.

The door to the dorm suddenly swung open, revealing a tired but freshly showered jock. He wore a white t-shirt with Dalton's emblem on the back and gray drawstring pants.

"Hey guys whats-" Dak froze when he saw the scene before him. Various people he didn't recognize were dressed up in strange outfits, and Logan practically glued to Kendall's side who had his arm around him.

"Going on...oh hey Kendall! What's up?" Dak walked over to the tall blond, who reluctantly drew his arm off of Logan's shoulders to shake the boys hand.

"You two know each other?" Logan asked, silently trying to deny that he missed Kendall's arm but stepping out of range and putting distance between him and Kendall.

"You bet I know him." Dak said, nodding to the other people in the room as to not be rude, "He's the Captain of the hockey team."

"Well...so far. Try outs are soon, so we'll see how they go." Kendall said casually, but the smirk he wore indicated he didn't seem to nervous.

"By the way I'm Dak." The brunette said, turning to the others in the room, smiling nervously at them and their outfits. A chorus of 'heys' answered him.

"They make you try out for Captain each year?" Cam asked, sitting on his bed with a frown.

"It's to keep us on our toes I guess." Kendall explained, turning to the actor. "Hawks a great coach...but kinda...intense like that."

"Intense? That's putting it lightly. Practice for people who might not even make the team two weeks before actual try outs start? I'd say sadistic before intense." Dak responded as he sat on Logan's bed, shaking his head as he remembered the last practice.

"He sounds kinda scary." Logan muttered, "I hope I don't come across him."

Scattered laughter echoed the room, and Cam and Logan both looked at each other in surprise before turning to the rest of the inhabitants.

"Why do I feel like we've missed something?" Logan said, taking a seat next to Dak on his bed. He missed the dark look Kendall shot their way, but if he had it would have sent shivers down his spine.

"Logan...you haven't met Hawk yet?" Carlos asked, shaking his head with a sympathetic grin, "Just wait till you do."

"Why would I?" The little brunette wrung his hands nervously, not liking where this seemed to be heading. "I'm not trying out for hockey."

"Logan," Dak said, getting the boys attention. On the other side of the room, Kendall shifted uncomfortably, not liking how close the two seemed. He made a mental note to try and find out if something was going on between the two...so he could completely shut it down.

"Logan...he's our House Guardian." Dak explained to the suddenly stricken boy, "But...I'm not surprised you don't know that...considering who our prefect is. He is normally less than forthcoming with need to know information."

"Whose your prefect this year?" Blaine asked, taking off his suit of armor.

"Jett. Jett Stetson." Cam answered, suddenly noticing a pretend sword fight begin with Carlos after he discovered Cam's trunk full of stage props that included various weapons, head gear and costumes.

A chorus of groans tumbled out of the Warblers mouths.

"Not a fan then?" Cam asked, amused as he dodged a mighty swing from the Latino with a long plastic sword he had found. Cam quickly ducked and rolled, then pulled out a plastic ax from his trunk.

"Who _is_ a fan of Jett's...? Besides...you know...himself." James answered, tripping Cam a little so that his boyfriend could get the upper hand. When Cam righted himself he shot James a look, to which the boy shrugged his shoulders and tried to look completely innocent.

"Hawk is, I'll tell you that." Dak muttered. There was no mistaking the Coach and Jett's close relationship that the entire team witnessed during past practices.

"What makes you say that?" Kurt answered as he studied himself in the mirror. He was currently considering going in a new direction with his hair in the style of a little faux-mohawk, but he would have to consult with Blaine later. One of the greatest perks of being Blaine's boyfriend was he had impeccable taste when it came to hair and the best course of action for each head.

"Jett's always been Hawks little pet. Ever since freshman year." Kendall explained, though he was speaking to both Dak and Logan, his eyes were focused only on the pale brunette, "The only reason I even made captain every year so far was because the team votes. If it were left up to Hawk..." Kendall let his words trail off, but everyone knew what was left unsaid.

"We won't have to deal with him...much...right?" Logan asked, his nerves still rattled. Jett was disturbing enough to meet. But now that he knew that the self-adsorbed boy had some power of faculty behind him, then that made Logan all the more adamant to stay out of their way.

Yet...he had tried that with Kendall and the Warbler crew, but considering they had raided his dorm and were making themselves quite comfortable at the moment, he knew he needed to work a bit harder at following through.

"Generally Hawks to busy with the team to really pay attention to whats going on here." Kendall answered, quick to jump in and comfort the boy before Dak could get in a word, "Having a house guardian is more for show for the parents really."

"Yeah...you'll probably barely see him." Blaine said, thinking about their own house guardian with a smile, "I'm sure it'll be fine."

"By the way...what are you all doing here?" Dak asked, glancing around at everyone.

* * *

><p>"All right you sorry excuses for existing. This year I expect the best from you, and I don't mean I tried my hardest and did the best I could...no!" The angry man of intimidating stature glowered at his audience, "I mean the do your best as in straight A's, bring home the gold, and first place in everything or you'll look little more than a pathetic Hogwarts reject that I will have the absolute pleasure of making you pay for your failures before I send you home with your blazer between your legs!"<p>

_This was supposed to be our first meeting with our Head Guardian...?_ Logan thought as he sat on an uncomfortable couch in the Burton common room with Cam trembling on his left and Dak sighing with boredom on his right.

Hawk was not very tall. In fact, many of the students either met him in height or stood a few if not more inches above him, but his dark eyes glowered with promises of untamed fury, and caused those boys to shrink back and feel little more than an inch in size.

"I'm sure you've heard things about me. That I'm tough...or...unfair..." Hawk continued, his voice soft and condescending, "But if you want soft and fair go home to your mommy's because at Dalton only the best and brightest are worth wearing our emblems. Even more so here, at Burton." He turned from the group and walked over to the window of the common room, holding his hands behind his back and looking across the lawn where Fletcher Dormitory stood in the distance.

He sighed in disgust at the sight before turning back to the boys, "I don't have to tell you how I feel about anyone here associating with Fletcher...but I feel I should reiterate for the newcomers who might not be aware of what kind of...threat these boys can be. Those pitiful excuses for students wearing the Dalton crest there are weak and destructive, and are an immense distraction to becoming the best student you can be." He turned and looked straight to Logan and his friends, then stepped closer to them, "They are jealous of our success and will try anything they can to bring us down. They'd rather cut us off at the knees than to actually put in the work and effort to build their own house up to be something worth being proud of."

For a moment Logan was confused as to why Hawk was looking at him when the elder spoke, but then his eyes darted to Jett who was leaning against the wall, smirking deviously in their direction as well. Suddenly, Logan put it together. Jett must have somehow found out that the Warblers were in his dorm last night...and had informed Hawk. No wonder the guardian wanted this meeting, he was furious they were there.

"So from this day on...Fletcher students are forbidden from this house." Hawk informed the students, stepping back to regard each one of them. No one dared to question this order, but many eyes darted back and forth, each filled with questions.

"If I catch anyone in this house with a Fletcher student, you will be banned from this building, and I will personally make the sincere effort to get you expelled from this school." Hawk finished with a smile as he watched the news sink into each boy.

"If you have any questions about this, please...feel free to speak with me or Jett...privately." Jett flashed all the boys a grin, to which no one returned, and Hawk continued, "Right. Go on then. Make your house proud!" And with that last statement, Hawk walked out of the room, Jett following.

Slowly the students began to disperse, leaving to make it to class before the bell rang. The meeting was called last minute, so everyone missed breakfast. Though no one wanted to voice it out loud, some wondered if it was a minor punishment from Hawk because the Fletcher students were there.

Cam sighed heavily beside Logan, "Well...that was fun while it lasted."

"What do you mean?"

"No more Fletcher guys here. They were...fun." Cam continued, fiddling with the strap to his bag.

"What does he have against Fletcher anyways?" Dak mused beside the two as he stood, stretching a bit and letting out a small yawn. They had stayed up late last night hanging out with the Fletcher guys, going over details about what Logan was to expect from Warbler practice and Kendall and Logan making plans for the tutoring sessions. Both Dak and Cam stayed up late with them, curious about what went on with the Warblers and also happy to support their friend.

"You got me...but I think he made it clear he wasn't joking about them not being welcome here." Logan said, following Cam and Dak out of the room.

"It won't make any difference. Fletcher is notorious for breaking the rules. Once they hear about Hawks new ban against them, it'll make them try all that much harder to get in the building." Dak explained, shaking his head, "Though I'd be lying if I said I'm not excited to see what's going to happen."

"Yeah...unless one of us gets expelled because of it." Logan shot back, frowning. He didn't want the Warblers to get him into trouble...maybe joining really wasn't such a good idea.

"Maybe you should keep it on the down low for a while that you joined the Warblers." Cam said, sending Logan a warning stare.

Nodding, Dak agreed. "I think that would be a good idea. He'll find out soon enough, but hopefully he'll have something else to get all pissy at by then."

Sighing, Logan stepped out of the building into the fall sunshine, and looked across the lawn at Fletcher Manor. "I can keep quiet about it...it's them that's a whole other story."

* * *

><p>"Is he awake yet?"<p>

"Maybe we should try some coffee?"

"There are some leftover smelling salts from...yanno...last time."

"Okay!" Blaine's loud voice echoed from the door way to a large bedroom inside the Fletcher dormitory, causing all the Fletcher students to move away from the long couch they were crowding around and turn to their resident Prefect. Though the boy was shorter than many of his peers, he wore an air of authority that made it clear none should question his words.

"All right...how bad is it?" Blaine said, moving over to look down at the figure below him.

"Not as bad as when he found out Steven Tyler was joining American Idol." Carlos said from beside Blaine.

"But worse than when he accidentally saw that youtube video of Ozzy doing a commercial with Justin Beiber." James continued from the other side of Blaine.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Blaine muttered, "Damn it Guitar Dude...what are we going to do with you?"

Lying prostate in a mess worthy of a eighties rock band after party, Fletcher's house guardian, affectionately named Guitar Dude, let out a loud snore that was slightly muffled by the empty bag of Doritos covering his face. All around him were empty cans of Rock Star and Red Bull, followed by half eaten sandwiches, empty Frito bags, and crumbs from what seemed to have once been donuts.

His room was larger than the rest of the students, in a small wing on the first floor. Though it was ornately decorated, the general mess of clothing, guitars and a large drum set in the corner proved whose personality truly lived in these four walls. Normally it was a relatively controlled chaos...but today the walls were shredded, the bed torn apart, and both windows looking out over the quad had been broken.

"What happened this time?" Blaine said, gesturing to one of the students to come over to him.

"I guess he heard Rihanna was going to do a cover for a Stevie Vaughn song...it just did him in." Another student answered, jogging over to Blaine and patiently awaiting instructions. As a freshman, he knew he would be stuck with the grunt jobs until he moved up in the ranks.

"Get some students and get some trash bags, then help them clean up this mess." Blaine turned to Carlos after the young freshman saluted him and moved on, "Find Kurt and get him to make some coffee, that extra strength stuff he hides in his closet and thinks we don't know about it." Carlos hesitated...then nodded. Kurt was quite the bear in the morning, but if he was lucky the boy was already up and willing to share his secret stash of coffee he gets shipped over from South America. He didn't know the whole story, but some friend of his from McKinley knows some people...

Turning to James, Blaine finished, "Chances are he has some sort of meeting this morning. Check his email and if so, send a message saying hes going to be late." With his trademark roll of his eyes, James slid on his sunglasses and walked away, the horde of students parting like he was Moses and they were the red sea.

Taking another look at their so called guardian, Blaine then turned to regard the group of students milling about and looking nervous.

"So...tomorrow was supposed to be the day you all officially met your House Guardian...but he is currently," Blaine sighed as Guitar Dude let out a loud snore, then continued, "Incapacitated." The students shifted about again, some used to this from their house guardian, but many of the freshmen were confused.

To save face, and the reputation of their house guardian, Blaine continued, "I know some of you think that this isn't what you were expecting when you heard you were going to meet your house guardian for the first time...but what you have to understand here is that...Fletcher house is a place for people who aren't exactly what people outside of these walls call normal. If you want normal, let us know and we can arrange to have you go to Burton's dormitory. It's not a threat, but this is how life is here at Fletcher."

Blaine smiled when he saw Carlos walk by the doorway, dragging a grumbling but awake Kurt behind him.

"We are unique, and this is what unites us and makes us the better dorm." Blaine continued, smiling at the small rousing of positive agreements from his fellow peers, "As much as we want you to do your best here, we want you to have fun...and be yourself. That's the only way you can survive your time here at Dalton. Whatever you enjoy...whatever you passion is...embrace it here at Fletcher, and Fletcher will embrace you." He felt a little silly saying it, despite it's truth, and even though it garnered a few laughs, there were more nods and various words of encouragement. "If you need anything, to talk or help or just...anything...don't hesitate to ask. Talk to me, your room mate, any of us. We're all in the same boat here...literally, and no man get's left behind. Take care of your own, and we'll take care of you."

Clapping his hands together, he nodded at his classmates and finished, "Now...you know the rules. This is not to be discussed outside this room. Like I said...if this is not what you signed up for, Burton is right outside the door. We won't judge you for it...everyone gets a free pass." He smiled, showing everyone he was sincere with his words, then, "And on that note...Warblers...don't be late for practice after classes!"

Most of the students cheered before slowly dispersing. Blaine sighed, glad to have avoided another catastrophe. He knew as resident Prefect he had a lot of responsibilities, but adding on those of his house guardian was not something he expected when he agreed to the job.

"You'll make a fine president one day." Said a voice coming up from behind Blaine. He turned to regard Kendall as the taller boy walked over to him, munching on an apple and glancing down at Guitar Dude...no surprise evident on his features. Already Kendall was dressed in his Dalton best, looking dapper and much more cheerful and put together than he had been when he first arrived back at school a couple of days ago.

Rolling his eyes, Blaine stepped aside to let the freshmen move in around the couch and begin cleaning. He felt a little bad for not helping, but as soon as one of the boys lifted up a bag, sniffed the inside of it, and began retching, his guilt quickly faded.

"You seem awfully chipper today." Blaine commented, looking his friend up and down. He had intended to confront Kendall last night about his intentions with Logan, but got a call last minute from his brother who insisted he help him go over lines for a shampoo commercial he was "starring" in. It took nearly two hours and by the time he closed down his computer he was half asleep at his desk.

"Well the sun is shinning, the bees are buzzing..." Kendall began, smirking at Blaine.

"And you have classes with Logan first thing." Blaine finished for him, quirking an eyebrow to indicate to his friend he had not missed what was going on between the two.

Rocking casually back and forth on his heels, Kendall took another bite of his apple before answering, "Physics does have a way of perking people up in the morning. In that sense of...oh God why did I choose this class kill me now...sort of way."

Blaine sighed before grabbing Kendall and dragging the taller boy over to the side of the room, intent on making sure the freshmen weren't accidentally eavesdropping, "You can drop the whatever act Kendall. It's painfully obvious you're into him."

"Is it now?" Kendall answered, quirking his own eyebrow back at the shorter of the two.

"Uh..._yeah_. You practically burn holes through his head when you stare at him...and not in a superman sort of way but an almost creepy Edward Cullen watch you while you sleep sort of way." Blaine stage whispered to his friend. "I just want to know what your intentions are."

Cocking his head to the side, Kendall smirked, "Intentions? What are you his dad?"

"Serious Kendall...the kid has virgin written all over him-"

"Pot calling the kettle black?" Kendall shot back, his smirk still there but his eyes were defensive.

"What I _mean_ is..." Blaine began again, pinching the bridge of his nose to calm his already frayed nerves, "You don't exactly have a great history concerning relationships. You've never dated anyone at Dalton before..."

"Never met anyone I liked enough." Kendall answered.

But Blaine continued on, "No one here knows what team you play for..."

"I like to keep an open mind." Kendall smirked back.

"And mostly you have to think about the Warblers-"

Scoffing, Kendall straightened, his eyes now narrowed and a firm frown in place, "Me..think of the Warblers? That's a laugh coming from you."

"What do you-" Blaine began confused, but Kendall cut him off.

"Did I complain when you brought in Kurt? No. Even though he was from another school, our competition mind you. He could have been a spy or something..."

"That's ridiculous!" Blaine shot back, but Kendall crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Isn't that how the two of you met?"

Stuttering, Blaine answered, "T-t-that's an entirely different scenario Kendall."

"And not once did I ever say anything about James and Carlos being together. Both of your relationships could blow up any day...and _that_ would be disaster for Warblers. How about you give me a chance before you start tearing apart something that doesn't even exist yet?" He looked away from Blaine as his voice grew quiet before he continued, "Might never exist."

Seeing the slight flash of fear go through Kendall's eyes, Blaine softened and began, "Kendall-"

But the blond shouldered by him, and without turning around he muttered, "I've got to get to class."

"Kendall!" Blaine called out, but the taller boy was out the door.

Groaning at his own stupidity, Blaine rubbed his eyes, then called out, "Okay you can come in now."

Popping their heads in through the door, Kurt, James and Carlos all sheepishly walked into the room.

"I guess you heard all that." Blaine said, turning to his friends.

"Well-" Kurt began, but James answered for them, "Only everything."

Kurt walked up to his boyfriend, looping his arms through Blaine's, "Don't worry Blaine. He's been acting weird ever since he got here. He'll talk to us when he's ready."

"And by us you guys mean you right?" James pointed to his two friends, an unamused frown on his face, "I don't really do emotional anything well." He finished, shoving his hands in his pockets, but jumped when Carlos swatted him gently on the arm. "What?" James admonished, "I don't!"

* * *

><p>"Ah ha! Here were go." Logan muttered to himself as found the stack he was looking for. The Dalton library was larger than any he had been to before, and even though he'd been there a few times, he still got lost.<p>

Winchester Library was one of Dalton's most prized possessions, named after the two brothers who donated the money to have it built after the original library burned down in 1924. It stood on the grounds like a tower of wisdom over the students, with its dark stone walls and large stained glass windows touting words of knowledge to the pupils it protected.

The science section was on the second floor, near the back of the library. Logan had a little piece of paper that the librarian had given to him, explaining where he should go to get what he needed. He wanted to brush up on some of the basics since he was going to be tutoring Kendall soon. They had tentatively talked to each other during class today, now a bit more comfortable in each others presence. But Logan was still unsure what to make of the boy, and how to behave around him.

As he stepped into the long aisle, he carefully read the numbers, then realized what he wanted was on the top shelf...much higher than he could reach.

Sighing, Logan slid off his bag and looked around for something he could stand on. He walked out of the aisle and saw down a few rows was a pretty tall step ladder they had for such cases. Smiling, he walked over and grabbed the ladder, then rolled it back over to the stacks. Gently, he began climbing it, trying to reach the top without falling off.

He spent some time going through the books, looking in their indexes to see if they had the content he was looking for. After a few minutes he stopped, then listened for a minute.

Hushed voices were carrying across the stacks, and Logan frowned as he looked around, trying to decipher where they were coming from.

"Blaine you can't blame yourself..." Came the hushed voice of Kurt.

Reaching forward, Logan pulled off a large book titled _Advance Theories of Quantum Entanglement_, and looked through the empty space. On the other side, he just could see Blaine and Kurt leaning against the bookshelves on the opposite stacks from him. They seemed to be in a small argument, but Logan wasn't sure. A part of him felt bad for snooping, and he was just about to put the book back, when he heard his own name.

"Logan's a big boy Blaine. I'm sure he can take care of himself." Kurt admonished, but kept his voice soft and trying not to sound to know-it-all.

"I know that Kurt...but you don't know Kendall as well as I do...somethings up with him. And after what happened last year..." Blaine sighed and went to run his hands through his hair, but stopped when he remembered it was perfectly gelled, "He's lucky he was even allowed back."

Nodding, Kurt folded his arms and leaned back against the stacks. "We'll just have to keep an eye on him. And hopefully if things start to get bad again...we'll recognize the signs and talk to him before it gets worse."

With a snort, Blaine turned to his boyfriend, "If he ever talks to me again."

"Hey now." Kurt exclaimed softly, turning to him and running a hand along his back, "Don't say that. You know he will. He's just being a pain. It's all that teenage angst. We all go through our 'woe is me the world is ending you couldn't possibly understand me' sort of drama. It's what makes great television."

Chuckling, Blaine smiled at Kurt, "You're the best."

Stepping closer, Kurt smiled back, "You know I am."

Making the move to close the distance between them, Blaine leaned forward and captured his boyfriends awaiting lips in a kiss. Kurt moaned appreciatively, stepping even further into Blaine's embrace so they could deepen the connection.

From above, Logan's mouth was hanging wide open. So that little freshman had been right! He wondered if the rest of the school knew about these two...and if they were okay with it. Logan was sure if they had gone to his last school they would have barely survived a day.

And then there was Kendall. Again, the subject about Kendall and having some...issues...was coming back. Logan couldn't forget about that, no matter how he felt about Kendall...or didn't feel … or... something...

Logan shook his head and got his mind back on track. So something happened last year. That must by why Buddha Bob warned him about Kendall. But what was it? What did that boy who seemed so nice and had been nothing but kind to him do that put everyone on edge?

"Excuse me."

Jumping in surprise, Logan turned and looked down to see a small boy, barely his age, staring up at him, "It's not polite to snoop." The boy said. He wore the Dalton uniform, but Logan didn't recognize his crest. His blue eyes were partly covered by brown shaggy curls which did nothing to alleviate the paleness of his skin.

Before Logan could answer, he realized when he had been surprised he had jerked the ladder to hard, and it was loosing it's balance.

"Whoa...whoa!" Logan exclaimed, but it was to late and, the ladder quickly fell to the ground, with Logan toppling after.

Though it hurt enough to hit the ground hard, Logan grunted in pain a few times when some books that he had grabbed to steady himself instead were pulled off the shelves with him, and laded squarely on his head.

"Ugh..." Logan moaned, taking a minute to catch his breath and concentrate to see if anything had been broken. He was not unfamiliar with the sharp pain that came with broken or shattered bones, and though it was painful to do so, he moved around a bit and tried out all his fingers and toes.

So far, so good.

"Oh my gosh are you okay?" Kurt's voice pierced through Logan's head, causing the boy to moan a bit and roll onto his side, praying for death.

"Blaine go get some help-" Kurt began, but was cut off when Logan chocked out, "No!"

Both boys froze at Logan's command, and watched as the fallen boy gritted his teeth and sat up. Breathing hard from his exertion, he managed to choke out, "I'm okay."

"A-are you sure?" Blaine said, walking over to Logan and helping the boy stand, slowly. Kurt wanted to go over and help as well, but refrained, having not forgotten how Logan reacted to him the day before.

"Positive." Logan breathed out, nodding to Blaine that he could let go when he finally stood.

"What happened?" Kurt asked, looking at the fallen ladder and books.

"Um..." Logan began, not wanting to admit he was eavesdropping, "I was looking for a book when I got startled." He kept his distance from Kurt, but was more focused on breathing through the pain.

"How?" Blaine asked, grabbing the ladder to pull it upright as Kurt began picking up the fallen books.

"This kid-" Logan began, then spun around, "Hey he's gone!"

"What kid?" Blaine asked, shooting Kurt a confused look.

"This young kid...a freshman I think...curly brown hair, blue eyes, and on his uniform I didn't-"

"Recognize the emblem?" Kurt finished, handing his boyfriend the pile of books he picked up. Blaine walked over to a book cart at the far end of the aisle and dumped them in, leaving them for the librarian to put away.

"So, you've meet the ghost of the library on your third day huh? Nice job." Kurt said, smiling at Logan and glad the boy didn't seem so weird about talking to him today.

"G-ghost?" Logan stuttered, blinking in surprise.

"Not a real ghost. He's a student here, but he just kind of...haunts the library. We never see him around campus. Only here." Blaine explained to Logan. "No one really knows all that much about him. He just sometimes appears...and sometimes doesn't."

"What about the emblem?" Logan asked as he reached down and grabbed his bag. "How does that make sense?" He winced when he lifted up his bag, his shoulder screaming at him to just _stop_ moving.

The other two boys looked at each other, then shrugged. "You've got me." Blaine answered. "Just another Dalton mystery."

"Huh." Logan muttered, thinking about the boy. He was glad that he wasn't around often, he didn't want it getting out that he was some kind of snoop.

Blaine's voice cut through Logan's thoughts, "So...Kurt and I were going to get some studying done. Want to join us?"

Suddenly Logan came back to reality and remembered who he was talking to. Just as he was about to say no, Kurt saddled up beside him and said, "Of course he does silly!" Taking advantage of Logan's ease at being in his presence, he slid his arm through Logan's and began dragging him towards the stairway that led to the first floor.

Along the far left wall, a sea of desks were laid out along the grounds where hordes of students spent their time studying, reading or quietly talking to each other.

Desperately, Logan tried to think of any excuse that would get him out of this predicament. He couldn't help his stomach churning at the memories attached to his arm, and also he didn't want the two asking him questions as to whether he had over heard their conversation.

Kurt practically shoved Logan into a seat at a long, empty desk near the back of the room, then daintily plopped himself into a seat next to Logan, thoroughly trapping him in.

Logan looked over at Blaine, who was chuckling quietly to himself as he sat down across from them and began taking out his books...and secretly his iPhone.

"So..." Kurt began, staring at Logan with eager eyes, "Tell me about yourself."

"Um..." Logan began, easing back from the prying boy, "There's not really much to tell...and I thought we were going to do homework."

Waving a casual hand aside, Kurt answered, "Warbler practice starts in twenty minutes. There's no time to start anything. We should use this happy coincidence to get to know each other better!" Kurt looked at Blaine for confirmation, and saw his boyfriend staring at his lap, "Blaine?"

The Warbler looked up at Kurt then quickly began nodding his head, "What? Oh yeah. Definitely."

Though Kurt shot him a confused look, he shrugged and turned back to his friends crush, "So...you're a transfer student. Blaine and I are as well."

"I know." Logan said, then quickly back peddled when Kurt shot hm a confused look, "I uh mean I've heard...through ya know...the grapevine."

But Kurt wasn't mad. He gave the new Warbler a friendly tap and said, "You gossiping about us?"

Logan looked around nervously, knowing there were students from his house seeing him sit with Fletcher boys. He hoped it wouldn't get back to Hawk, "No uh...no..." Then he stopped, suddenly remembering something. He turned to Kurt and said, "By the way...how did you guys know where to find me?"

Blinking in surprise, Kurt asked, "What do you mean?"

"I never gave you my name at Warbler tryouts...but you all showed up at my dorm. How did you know I lived on campus?"

"Oh..." Kurt began, looking over at Blaine nervously, who was still staring at his lap, "Uh...we just uh heard through the grapevine to, right Blaine?"

Again the prefect looked up confused, and just nodded, "Yeah...totally."

Rolling his eyes, Kurt was about to tell off Blaine for being so absent when he saw out of the corner of his eye a flash of blond and green.

"Kendall?" Kurt said, then turned to Logan who nearly fell out of his seat in surprise and nervousness. Shooting out a hand, Kurt grabbed the boy, "Easy there. You don't need another fall. We already have one Warbler we have to worry about making it to sections without broken bones. We certainly don't need another."

Nearly jogging up to them, Kendall arrived at the desk, smiling and staring straight at Logan, "Hey. Long time no see."

Flushing, Logan looked back at Kendall, "You just saw me like...a couple of hours ago. Before lunch."

Kendall's hair was mussed up and his clothing in disarray. His eyes were also a bit red, and he looked like he just woke up, "You all right Kendall?" Kurt asked his friend.

Nodding without even looking at Kurt, Kendall slid in next to Blaine so that he was directly across from Logan. "I'm all right."

"Funny meeting you here." Blaine said, turning to Kendall carefully. His friend turned to him, then gave him a small smile, his eyes speaking a thanks no one could hear.

Nodding, Blaine turned back to his boyfriend and their new friend. "We ran into Logan here. But, not literally. He was already on the floor with a pile of books on top of him."

"What?" Kendall exclaimed in alarm, "What happened?" His eyes roamed over Logan, but he didn't see any injuries on the boy.

"Oh..." Logan began, flushing a bit, "I was trying to get a book when some kid came out of nowhere and scared me so bad I fell of the ladder." He shrugged, "I'm okay."

"Are you sure? I can take you to the infirmary if you want? Do you feel dizzy? Or tired? Or-Ow!" He turned sharply to Kurt, who had a raised eyebrow at his blond friend.

"I'm sure if Logan wasn't feeling well he would have already told us."

Now red as a tomato, Logan shrugged and said, "I'm fine. Really I swear." Worried that they might try asking him more uncomfortable questions, considering how very uncomfortable he was now (Kurt, Kendall...everything) Logan suddenly stood, "I'm going to run back to my dorm to drop my stuff off. I'll...see you guys in practice?" He flashed his small half smirk at them, then quickly turned and dashed out of the library.

Kendall half stood to follow but Blaine reached forward and pulled his friend to sit again, "Easy there feller. You're going to see him again in like twenty minutes."

"He's a bit skittish isn't he?" Kurt mused, half turned in his seat to watch the boy dash away. He turned back to the two, a pouting Kendall and an amused Blaine watching him, "Did I do something at try outs?"

Blaine turned his eyes to Kurt, "Not that I can remember."

"What are you talking about?" Kendall asked, frowning at the reflection in his phone to try and fix his hair.

"Logan is scared of Kurt." Blaine answered reaching up to help the blond.

"What?" Kendall asked, dropping his own hands to leave his hair to the pro, "What do you mean?"

Shrugging, Kurt stood, gathering up his books and bag, "Exactly what I said. He always...cowers when I'm near. I don't understand why." He paused, "I'm _nice_."

"Well...after your morning coffee." Kendall mused. Blaine remained diplomatically silent.

Huffing, Kurt shot back, "Well Logan's never met me before my morning coffee. So I've been nothing but pleasant to him. I don't know why he's so weird around me...but I'm going to find out." And with that statement. Kurt spun on his heel and stomped out of the building.

The shorter Warbler jumped up to follow, but Kendall grabbed Blaine's arm, stopping his friend, "Blaine...about this morning..."

But Blaine waved him off, "No...forget it. It's none of my business."

Kendall was silent for a moment, but then gave him a small smile, "Thanks for caring enough to want it to be your business."

Not sure how to interpret that, Blaine only nodded and followed his boyfriend out of the building.

Sighing at the empty desk, Kendall looked at the seat Logan had just exited. If he was truly honest with himself, he would say that he had absolutely no clue as to why he was interested in the boy. They hadn't spoken much, barely knew anything about each other. But there was something about Logan that Kendall was desperate to get close to. A part of him wanted to just leave it be...but he had never felt like this before. And feeling something..._happy_...for him was...unusual. (1: The song Crush by David Archuleta was originally posted here, but ffnet forced me to remove it)

He reached inside his pocket and opened up his phone, looking over the texts that Blaine had sent him earlier, letting him know Logan was here. He smiled, remembering how shocked and excited he was that he even fell off the couch he was napping on in the common room, scaring Carlos who was studying on the opposite couch, before running out the door.

He looked around at the other students at the various tables, all of their faces buried deep in their books and laptops, then turned back to the seat that Logan had once resided in, now empty. Did Logan feel anything for him? Honestly he wasn't sure. The boy was so distant...and why did it matter anyways. Why did he care so much? Well, whatever it was...he did care. A lot.

He stood from his seat, taking a deep breath, because the realization of all this was just so much for him to handle. He wanted to say so much to Logan, but didn't even know where to begin.

He stepped out from the seat and began walking down the long pathway, lined on both sides by desks, students and books. His words whirled in his mind, the questions that each syllable held. For a few fleeting moments he tried to image the future with Logan...but taking such a chance could be to dangerous for him. For both of them.

Opening the door to the library, he walked out into the warm September air, stopping at the top of the steps to survey the campus, lost in his thoughts. Students walked past him, not noticing the pain written across his face. He was no fool, he knew he had things he needed to work on.

With a sigh he descended the steps, walking towards Fletcher Manor to drop off his own stuff before practice. While he walked, his internal struggled continued. Was this to fast? Just those crazy teenage hormones people always talk about with young romance? There was nothing to base his feelings on, nothing for him to associate why he felt this way about Logan. But...he did. 

As he walked down the pathway that led him to his dorm, the gravel crunched under his feet, but he didn't even notice. Was he crazy? Was something really wrong with him that he could fall so quickly for someone he barely even knew? Either way, he couldn't ignore how he felt whenever Logan was around.

A big part of him was telling him to just leave it alone for reasons he wasn't ready to admit yet. Blaine even voiced most of the same concerns this morning, which was why Kendall got so upset. He really shouldn't drag the boy into his life...his mess. He was sure Logan had his own problems, issues to worry about. But...despite all that...he was certain of one thing. Until he was sure of how he felt about Logan, nothing he felt was changing.

Quietly he walked up the stairs to Fletcher Manor, stopping before opening the door to turn back to Burton, as if he could see Logan behind those giant walls. His heart ached...and he didn't how to make it stop.

* * *

><p>Logan dashed up the stairs to his dorm, desperate to not be late for his first Warbler practice. He knew he had time, since he ducked out of that impromptu get together so quickly, but he really wanted to make a good impression for his first practice...considering that he hadn't really done that great of a job impressing them so far.<p>

"Hey Logan wait up!" Logan stopped on the stairway heading up to the second floor and turned, seeing Cam following him up the stairs.

"Hey Cam whats up?" Logan said, stopping and waiting for his friend to meet him.

Huffing a bit, Cam answered, "Just getting some props for a read through." They both slowed their pace and walked up to their dorm together.

"You need props for a read through?" Logan asked, getting out his room keys and opening the door for them.

"Well...not normally. But I always like to have some to get more into the feeling of the story." He answered, dropping his books on the floor and heading over to the trunk at the other end of the room. "What are you up to?"

"Dropping off my stuff before heading over to Warbler practice." Logan said, putting his books and notebooks in a neat pile on his desk. He then arranged the books so that they were stacked, bigger books on the bottom and smaller books on top. As Cam stood, holding the various swords and Roman helmets, he quirked an eyebrow at Logan's book pyramid and overly organized desk.

"You make me look bad dude." Cam said, smiling when Logan realized what he was talking about and jerked back, shoving his hands in his pockets with a blush.

"I like...being organized." He said, then, "Shut up."

Laughing, Cam walked past Logan, quirking his head to the side, "C'mon. We both don't want to be late."

After shutting the dorm door, Logan and Cam began walking down the stairs.

"You nervous about practice?" Cam asked, smiling an sympathetic, unconvinced smile when Logan shook his head.

"No...it'll be fine." Logan said, looking away from Cam and trying to deny the knots in his stomach.

"I wouldn't worry. Last night everyone seemed-" But Cams words were cut off as a voice shouted out to them from the top of the stairs.

"Hey. If it isn't the Fletcher wannabes." Jett sneered down to them, walking down the steps and meeting them halfway. His two cronies were following him, bored and intimidating as usual.

From their spot on the stairs, Logan and Cam turned, regarding their prefect with open apprehension.

"Heard from some guys that you were hanging out with more Fletcher's in the library today." Jett said, eyebrow raised at Logan. "Rumor has it you tried out for Warblers...and got in."

_Damn it..._ Logan mused. He knew that was going to get back at him, "Whatever. It's open to everyone. And...I was only hanging out with some of them for like a second at the library. It's not as I brought them back here."

"It's not just that." Jett said, stepping closer to the two, "If it were just Fletcher guys...whatever," he shrugged, but then his smile grew so that it was almost like he was pitying Logan, "But...they were Warblers. And if you didn't know...then let me let you in on a little secret."

Even though Logan wanted to flee, he held his ground when Jett leaned in close, whispering, "The only thing worse than a Burton wanting to be a Fletcher...is a Burton wanting to be a Fletcher Warbler."

He pulled back a bit, "So be careful Logan. Because there are serious consequences for a Burton betraying his own." He turned back to his friends, scoffing, "I mean seriously. What's so great about being a Warbler anyway." Turning back to Logan, Jett's smile grew even more dangerous, "What...can you like...fly now?"

And with that, he pushed Logan, hard. Not expecting this, Logan had no time to brace himself. Cam attempted to reach out and help his friend, but instead he was dragged down as the two of them tumbled painfully down the rest of the stairs, Cam hitting the bottom first and Logan landing directly on top of him. Cam's props scattered down with them, landing at the bottom with a clattering thud.

Laughter echoed down the stairs as Jett and his friends walked down to meet them, stepping over their prostate figures.

"Guess your wings haven't grown in yet." Jett sneered before walking away, his laughter continuing.

"S-sorry." Logan moaned out to Cam, feeling awful that this was his fault, "Let me just get off of you-" He said, gritting his teeth as he moved.

"Wait Logan-" Cam called out, but it was to late. Logan had moved his hands and they had brushed over Cam's chest. Suddenly, Logan stilled.

_That...didn't feel...right..._

And also, Logan noticed the lack of something...else...as their two pelvises were pressed together.

Logan froze, looking down in confusion at Cam's blown eyes full of fear.

"C-Cam?" Logan questioned, then suddenly found himself on his back as Cam threw him off him.

"I gotta go!" Cam practically yelled, jumping up suddenly before grabbing his fallen props then dashing out of the room.

Lying on the floor and staring up at the ceiling, pain raced through Logan's body...for the _second_ time today. He blinked a few times as his mind tried to process just what happened.

"I wonder if high school...is this difficult...for everyone." Logan gasped out loud to the empty room.

* * *

><p><strong>xoxo BA<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Casual chatter echoed throughout the Warblers practice room. Series of idle gossip of classmates new and old, and desperately flipping papers of various song sheets and comparing which songs would be best for which competitions. The Grandfather clock, donated by a certain William Coolidge, near the front of the room ticked away calmly, slowly making itself known that soon practice would start.

Between the words Pink, Fun and One Direction, the clock began it's chiming, alerting the students to it's afternoon hour.

Bong...

Bong...

Bong...

Suddenly, the doors to the practice room flew open, reveling James wearing aviator sunglasses and an outfit of attitude you couldn't buy in the most priciest stores. He silently walked into the room and headed straight for the piano, stepping onto the seat below the keys and using it as a step ladder to launch himself onto the top of the black baby grand. The other students crowded around it, waiting to see what he was going to do.

The pretty boy surveyed his subjects below him with a smirk; a musical king amongst a background of backup peons. He took a deep breath, and then...

_Leeeeeet's get it started...in here..._

As he finished off the note for the beginning of the Black Eyed Peas song, the new and old Warblers were expecting the beginning strands of that particular pop song to begin, but were pleasantly surprised when a large boom box came gliding into the room from the front doors, duck tapped to a rolling skateboard, and the beginning beats of LMFAO's _Party Rock Anthem_ began blasting through it's speakers. Following it, while doing the very popular shuffle dance, was the energetic Latino, wearing matching aviator glasses. As he entered the room, he began singing. (1: The song Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO was originally posted here, but ffnet forced me to remove it)

Just as he finished that note, James jumped off the piano, landing next to Carlos. In tandem they danced the shuffle next to each other, both singing the next set of lines.

Suddenly Blaine and Kendall burst through the doors, wearing their own aviator glasses as well. Behind them a few upper underclassmen Warblers followed, doing front flips and cartwheels as the boys shuffled to meet their friends. The rest of the group of students moved to the back of the room, giving the older boys room to dance. As they lined up together, Blaine stepped forward, the other boys behind them dancing synchronized hip-hop moves. Playing with his aviators in synch with his dance moves, Blaine rapped out the next part of the song.

Launching himself forward, Kendall threw an arm around Blaine, twisting him playfully before goodnaturedly tossing him back to the group of dancing boys behind him as he took the center, moving to his own moves as he continued the song.

The boy's audience watched in fascination as the boys moved together, syncing their moves to jump and shuffle and grind to the song, singing in perfect unison to the hip hop lyrics. They fist pumped in the air, encouraging the other boys to join them, getting them psyched for their performance.__

In keeping with his swagger, James jumped back up onto the black piano, his voice carrying as he sang.

James bent down and placed a hand on the piano before flipping himself in the air then landing gracefully in front of his friends. They then separated, Blaine and Kendall on one side, James and Carlos on the other.

They then turned, lining up, before continuing to dance in the same manner, singing and mimicking their words movements; 

Then the two groups collided, the dancing lead Warblers and the rest of the students. In the chaos and commotion of pure fun everyone was having, no one noticed the door to the practice room creak open, and a small form slowly and painfully sneak inside.

Logan watched the scene with amusement, glad that he could sneak in without being noticed. He made his way to the back of the room, hiding just at the edge of the chaos so he could blend in when it was over. He didn't fully recognize the song, but as Carlos sung out the last strain of "Shake that. Everyday I'm shuff-fuf-fuf a-lin." Logan couldn't help but smile at the mess of fun everyone was having.

When the song ended and everyone stopped dancing, the crowd of students surrounded the four boys, laughing and offering their congrats and exclamations of being impressed with their performance. They all took of their sunglasses and spoke with the group, smiling at being proud of themselves, which was deserved.

Logan hung to the back, not wanting to be noticed. He was late, but he was here. Unfortunately, since he missed the last practice, he had no idea what to do or expect, so he kept quiet and hidden, waiting to see what was going to happen next.

While he waited, he decided to contemplate what just happened. Granted, he knew he was in trouble. _Big_ trouble. He had dealt with bullies before at his old school, that he was used to. But Jett was a different breed. Whereas the guys who pushed him around before would smarten up as soon as a teacher strolled by, Jett actually had the power, and the _encouragement_, from Hawk to mess with him. This posed a problem, especially since Logan wanted to stay with the Warblers. If it was just him that was getting the brunt of it, he could take it, nothing new there. But his friends were getting pulled into it, as he saw from today with Cam.

Cam.

Now _there_ was a whole other conundrum.

"Logan!"

The little brunette jumped and looked up, seeing that James was staring at him with a pointed finger. He looked unamused with his icy blue eyes, and Logan couldn't help but gulp nervously.

"Uh...yes?" Logan squeaked out, turning to the boy and shoving his trembling hands into his pockets to hide his fear.

"You were late." James said, pulling his hand back and crossing his arms, quirking an eyebrow at the boy, "What's your excuse?"

Now every pair of eyes in the room were on him. Logan would be damned if he said he was late because he spent a good ten minutes dragging his bruised ass off the floor of Burton dorm. He was in enough trouble with his own classmates as it was, he wouldn't want Fletcher to know he was Jett's new punching bag.

"S-sorry." Logan stumbled out, "I got...sidetracked."

"And what was so important that you came in late?" James continued, walking over to the boy, a large group of the Warblers following in his wake, also wearing expectant looks.

"James lay off. It's his first practice. Give him a break." Kendall said, walking around James and cutting off his path to Logan, holding his hands up as if to ward off his friends annoyance.

The pretty boy looked up at his tall friend, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, his eyes narrowed disapprovingly. "Fine." But then his smile returned, sneaky and full of tricks, "_But_ he has to pay his late fees."

Blanching, then frowning, Kendall said, "C'mon James-" But the pretty boy turned around, regarding his fellow peers, and called out, "You know what a Warbler has to do when he's late?"

"Pay his late fees!" The rest of the group exclaimed, cheering and whooping in excitement.

Logan walked up to Kendall, tugging gently on his sleeve. When nervous green eyes met his curious brown ones, he whispered, "What...what does that mean?" Logan really, really wasn't sure if he could handle another bought of injuries if this meant getting beat up again. He could barely stand as it was.

Kendall looked into Logan's eyes, wanting nothing more to wrap an arm around the boy and shush his worries. He gently took Logan's hand in his, watching the boy nervously jump a bit, then alternate looking between Kendall and their interlocked hands.

"You have to sing a solo, alone, in front of everyone." Kendall answered.

"Okay..." Logan said, biting his lip in fear. What was he going to do? He didn't know how to sing, and barely knew any songs as it was. The last time had been a stroke of luck. Now...he wondered if he could get away with Row Your Boat?

"But..." Kendall continued, giving their still held together hands a small squeeze, "The group get's to pick the song."

The little brunette almost didn't hear Kendall's words, his mind was still on _hands being held_ mode, and had to replay Kendall's words over in his head.

"What?" Logan nearly shrieked before looking over the side of Kendall and saw the Warblers all huddled together, tossing out various names of songs that Logan was not in any way familiar with. He even heard Carlos yell out, "No Blaine. No more Katy Perry!"

What kind of band was a Katy Perry?

Panic began to well up in Logan's throat as he turned back to Kendall, "I-I don't know...what am I going to do?"

"Shh..." Kendall said, flashing the trembling boy a quick smile, "We'll figure out something." Kendall made a mental note to make James pay for putting Logan through this. Normally they only enforced this rule on long term Warblers who were getting lax in their commitment to the group. By forcing them to sing in front of everyone, it was reminding them how important it was to be on their game. If they sang and were horrible, then they knew they had to step up.

Putting Logan through this, who James knew was musically..._new_, was just mean. But Kendall couldn't override it, since James had gotten the rest of the Warblers in on it.

Suddenly the doors to the room burst open, and a heavy breathing Kurt came into the room, his hair a mess and his arms full of books and papers.

"Hey!" He called out, dumping his stuff onto one of the side sofas, "Sorry I'm late." He dashed over to the group of Warblers, trying to get his breath even, "What did I miss?"

"Where have you been?" Blaine asked. He had been a little worried when Kurt wasn't at practice when he got here.

"Sorry." Kurt said, waving a hand, "Got an emergency call from Rachel. Apparently all of Glee club is mad at her for sending a new girl to a crack house instead of practice." Kurt gave a casual little shrug and laugh, familiar with his former classmates crazy antics, but then stopped when everyone was staring at him in confusion, "She's all right though!" Kurt then exclaimed, frowning and crossing his arms. Honestly, these students here have no idea how easy they have it!

"Well..." James began, "If were done with our weekly horror tales from the dredges of public high school, then how about we move on to our main event?" James turned and regarded Logan with an evil smile.

Logan trembled a bit, then straightened his shoulders and walked forward, reluctantly letting go of Kendall's hand, "Okay James. Do your worst." He said, trying to keep his voice brave, but inside he felt like running out the door and hiding under his blankets. Honestly, he wanted to say this was better than facing Jett...but truthfully he would take another tumble down the stairs before making a fool of himself in front of everyone...again.

Just as James was about to open his mouth, Kendall suddenly was at Logan's side, "Wait!"

Grunting in frustration, James whined, "What now Kendall?"

With a triumphant smile, Kendall said, "Kurt was late as well."

"So?" Kurt and James both said, then shot each other looks.

"So...that means they have to do a duet...together." Kendall answered, hoping this would be easier on Logan to have someone up there singing with him.

"Wait...why do I have to sing in front of everyone?" Kurt asked, looking at Blaine for an explanation.

His prefect boyfriend was nervously rubbing the back of his head, then answered almost painfully, "Well we have this rule where...if you're late you have to sing a solo in front of everyone."

Almost beside himself with glee, Kurt exclaimed, "What! Why was I never told about this rule?"

Sighing in frustration, James muttered, "Oh yeah...damn it we weren't supposed to tell you."

"Why not!" Kurt exclaimed again.

"Well...cause..." Blaine began, then threw his hands up in the air, "Cause we were kinda worried you might always be late...on purpose...so you could sing...a lot."

Though Kurt had his mouth hanging out in shock, inside he was kind of surprised because...honestly that was the first thing he thought of when he heard the rule just now.

"Blaine!" Kurt said, almost in defiance, "I would _never_ take advantage of-" But he stopped when all the Warblers crossed their arms and gave him a look. Eventually he let out a sigh, admitting defeat."_Fine_. But you all try to be in a Glee club with a diva worthy of Barbra Streisand's temper and get some solos in!" By the end of his sentence, Kurt's voice had risen to it's own diva worthy tempo, and he had no regrets. Many of his classmates took large steps back to avoid getting caught in the line of fire.

"Fine." James muttered, turning first to Logan, then back to Kurt, "Okay boys. New song."And with that he turned and the Warblers once again huddled into a small group to choose a new song.

Kendall turned back to Logan, "I'm going to jump in. See if I can get them to go easy on you."

Gratitude...and something else Logan was not going anywhere near anytime soon...welled up inside Logan, and he gave Kendall a grateful smile before breathing out a, "Thanks."

Kendall had to wrench his eyes away from the boy before walking over to the group, "Who the hell said Kanye West? I swear to God if anyone suggests the only countertenor to _rap_..."And his voice then faded into the interlaced suggestions being thrown out.

Sliding a hand slicked with sweat up the back of his neck, Logan let his smile stay where it was as he watched Kendall fight for him. He had to honestly say, no one before Dalton ever defended him. Well...besides Kelly. But her defense was getting him out of the hellish high school he faced daily. No, no one had ever stood beside him and gone out of their way to make him feel wanted...part of something bigger, and better, than everything he had once known.

A finger gently probing his arm jerked him out of his thoughts, and his denial that he was not staring at Kendall in any sort of fashion, then turned to Kurt, who was currently using his thumb and finger to straighten the lovely curve of his hair above his bright blue eyes.

As much as the memories still tugged at Logan's mind, he knew he needed to put them aside if he was going to do this whole Warblers thing. He had to tuck them away, and deal with them later. Right now, he needed to figure out a way to get through this practice.

"So...no better way to learn how to swim than by being thrown in with the sharks huh?" Kurt said, attempting at a joke in hopes of making the boy smile, but he wasn't one to offer much more comfort than that. He had suffered through McKinley and all the trials and tricks that school and it's inhabitants had thrown at him. As much as he wanted to help Logan, he knew the boy would never learn unless he fought his own battles.

Giving a small jerk rather than a shrug, Logan said, "Yeah...I guess. But is it bad that sharks right now seem more appealing than..." He turned to the arguing boys, "them?"

Smiling, glad that Logan seemed to be holding his own well enough, Kurt noticed that Logan looked much more rumpled and dirty that when they had last seen each other nearly a half hour ago. He absently reached out and grabbed Logan by the lapels. But he quickly removed his hands though when Logan turned back at him with that all to familiar fear in his eyes before he jerked back, arms raised as if to defend himself.

"Whoa there. I'm a singer not a fighter." Kurt said, holding his own hands up as if in defense, then slowly lowered them to place his soft white hands back on Logan's jacket. "You're all sorts of a mess. Your collar is crooked, your white shirt is wrinkled, and you've got dirt all on your jacket." Kurt ran a hand along Logan's left arm to help clean him up, but then raised a surprised eyebrow when Logan hissed a bit and stepped away in pain.

"Are you all right?" Kurt said, alarmed as he held his hands at bay once again. He hadn't touched him _that_ hard.

Gently wiping the dirt off himself, Logan nodded and said, "Yeah. Sorry. Still a little sore from that fall earlier." As he fixed his collar, he quickly avoided Kurt's piercing blue eyes filled with doubt. Logan knew when he fell in the library, he had fallen on his right side...he was hoping that Kurt wouldn't remember. Unfortunately Kurt had brushed against his left arm which he fell on hard when he began his tumble down the stairs from Jett.

Whether he did or not, Kurt wisely kept quiet about, instead folding his arms and saying, "Okay. Well since your mildly presentable now, how about we do a quick asses of your musical repertoire?"

Logan, who had since given up trying to brush off his jacket and instead had settled on taking it off and placing it, gently since it was only one of his two pairs that he owned, onto the couch, glanced up at Kurt with confusion, "My...musical repertoire?"

Nodding, Kurt took a seat on the couch, crossing his legs with more grace and flow than any woman, or anyone really, that Logan had ever met. "Yes. What do you listen to? Musicals? R&B," He paused to let out a little shudder, "Country?"

Blinking, Logan shrugged, "I don't."

"Don't what?"

"Listen...to music." Logan confessed, almost in shame. Here he was part of a group of people who practiced music like a religion, and he felt like some sinner imposing on their holy grounds.

It was made even more so evident by the look of complete scandal perched upon Kurt's delicate features, "Not...even...a little?"

Biting his lip, Logan squeaked out, "I know...row your boat?" 

"But..." Kurt said, jumping up, "You sang that last song so well!"

Admitting defeat, Logan managed to strangle out, "That...was a fluke. I-I learned it for a class project." As Kurt continued to gape at him as if he were a strange foreign being, Logan muttered, "My brother listened to Eminem a lot...I maybe...could...try-"

"All right! We've got it!" Carlos's voice echoed through the room, causing Logan to look at him, though Kurt was still standing opened mouth and gaping at the boy.

"Mouth." Logan whispered out the side of his mouth, "You look like a singing fish ornament."

Shutting his trap with a quick clip, Kurt turned to the others, answering Logan, "I'll die before I rap to a singer who dissed the Spice Girls."

"You were a fan of the Spice Girls?" Logan asked.

Fixing his tie and watching as the rest of the Warblers walked over, a mischievous look upon their faces, Kurt replied, "I'd like to say more of a dedicated follower."

Now there's an image Logan never wanted to imagine.

"Okay boys, we have all agreed-" James began, only to be cut off by an annoyed Blaine.

"Not everyone." The well groomed prefect muttered with his arms crossed. Logan noticed that Kendall was also sporting a sour face as well. This made him even more nervous.

"All right. By _majority_ vote then, we have decided on the song you will sing." James continued.

"Okay. Lay it on us Diamond. What'll be? Backstreet Boys? Weird Al?" Kurt paused, "Is it to late to toss in Gaga as a possibility? I do quite a good Fame Monster." He turned to Logan with a smile as he began to dig out his phone, "I have pictures!"

"No." James said, ignoring Kurt's somber pout as he continued, "We feel that the Warblers need a little bit more...sensitivity this year." As he said his words, they were dripping with sarcasm that matched his almost snide smile, "So...we decided-" Here James paused, building up the drama, "On Lady Antebellum's _Kiss Goodnight_."

Logan blinked a couple of times, desperately trying to decide if that song triggered any memories, but none came to mind.

"I-I don't know that song." Logan confessed, frowning when he felt his cheeks grow red with embarrassment. He couldn't even look at Kendall in the eye, knowing the blond had fought for him and Logan had failed him.

"You want us to sing a love song...to each other?" Kurt said, frowning as well, his face growing somber and serious. Now he knew why Blaine was not to thrilled with this at all. "C'mon James. This is his first time as a Warbler...and...the choice of song might be a little...uncomfortable for him." Kurt didn't want to put Logan on the spot, making the boy feel as if he needed to clarify his sexuality in front of the entire class. As if in answer, Logan's face only went even more red, creeping down his neck

The room grew silent with this observation, apparently no one had realized it, but it quickly ended with James scoffing and saying, "Whatever. That is the song, and you guys have to stick with it."

"But he doesn't even know it!" Kurt shot back, then deliberately looked over to Carlos, his eyes pleading with the boy for help. Logan didn't miss this exchange at all.

But Kurt didn't need to silently voice his plea. Carlos was already placing a hand on James's shoulder and saying gently, "How about this. They keep the song, but we give them a day to practice it." He turned to Logan and Kurt, "I know the song choice might be a bit weird, but it'll be good practice for Logan to get familiar with some mainstream songs, since Blaine has a habit of fighting tooth and nail for them during our competitions." He paused to smile at his blue eyed friend, "And normally winning."

Sighing, Kurt turned to Logan, who was still red faced and silent, "How does that sound? At practice tomorrow?"

Not knowing what else to say, Logan only ran a hand along the back of his neck and nodded his answer, but his eyes were trained on Carlos and James. Would the pretty boy go along with it?

But as soon as Carlos had placed a hand on James's shoulder, it was like a transformation for the blue eyed diva. The tense shoulders loosened, the eyes that looked like ice faded into calm blue skies, and where his frown was a permanent fixture, it suddenly became altogether different. "Sounds like a plan to me!" James said, turning to Carlos with a bright smile, to which the shorter Latino returned with just as much shine. Logan had to blink a few times, surprise etched openly on his face. He would have thought James would have fought to have them stumble their way through the song, miserably making a fool of themselves. But a small touch and a few words from Carlos and James gave in no problem.

Suddenly Logan remembered the kiss between Blaine and Kurt, which made him wonder if perhaps Carlos and James had something going on to. The comment Blaine had made the other day to Carlos about which side of the bed James woke up on hadn't been forgotten. But other than that, James and Carlos never seemed to act like a couple. Then again, Logan wouldn't have known about Blaine and Kurt if he hadn't accidentally stumbled upon them. They must be keeping their relationships quiet then.

"All right. Now that that's settled, let's get going with practice." James exclaimed, and he and Carlos began rounding up the students, splitting them up into grounds around the piano.

Logan stepped back, watching as Blaine came up to Kurt with a disgruntled pout and began commenting quietly about how he really wasn't comfortable with Kurt doing this. Purposely, Logan looked away, not wanting to get caught even more in the middle of something he couldn't get out of.

As he stepped away, he walked straight into the the folded arms and concerned eyes of Kendall, who was staring down at him with a frown, "You all right?"

Blinking up at the boy, Logan nodded, "Thanks for your help. I think once we get some practice in I won't be such a bother."

"Your not a bother." Kendall admonished quickly, frowning even more at the boy, "I'm sorry I couldn't do better. But it's a real easy song, and it wont take you long to learn it."

Nodding, Logan opened his mouth as if to ask something, but then quickly closed it, bringing his hands up to wring them together nervously.

"What?" Kendall asked, then chuckled softly when Logan shook his head, "C'mon. What?"

Looking up to the blond boy, Logan stumbled out,"Will...if I do this...will it...cause...trouble for me?" Then he quickly looked away, almost ashamed of his question. But he had to know. He had enough already with school and trying to dodge Jett, he didn't need _more_ guys pushing him down stairs.

"What do you mean?" Kendall asked, not sure what Logan was trying so say.

"Um...if I sing...that kind of song...to another guy. Will...I mean...in the group...will they...give me a hard time...afterward?" Logan said, his voice lowered down to just above a whisper.

"Logan." Kendall said with a small laugh, "I don't know what happened at your last school...but you're safe here. This is a zero-violence school. No one's going to hurt you here."

Logan nodded, ignoring the pain shooting through his back and the memory of Jett and his actions less than an hour again.

"And the guys here? They don't care about that stuff. We'll sing anything. Just because you're singing a love song to a dude, doesn't mean you have a thing for him." Kendall continued, then paused a bit, almost hesitation before he continued, "Just cause...in case you were wondering...you...I mean...you know...Kurt. He's taken you know."

Logan looked up at Kendall, and almost believed that the blond looked a little nervous, "I know Kendall." When the blond looked at him in surprise, Logan nodded over at Blaine and Kurt, who were still talking quietly. Kendall looked over at Logan's face, and was relieved to see a smile there. Logan then replied. "I'm not interested in Kurt anyways."

Looking immensely relieved, Kendall nodded. "Good. Not that it's any of my business." Kendall finished quickly.

Logan had to hold back laughter at how Kendall was acting, but nodded again, "It's okay Kendall. But you and I should really get going on those lessons. I don't know how much more of James's hazing I can take."

Kendall smiled, but inside he was already plotting ways to get back at James for his actions towards Logan, "Okay. After practice we'll set up our schedule. I know we talked about it a bit the other night, but we can, ya know, set it in stone and stuff, okay?"

Nodding, Logan smiled back at the boy, "Okay."

* * *

><p>Almost feeling like he was about to walk into a horror movie, Logan crept silently along the abandoned and darkened hallways of the theater, feeling his way along the wall to keep himself steady.<p>

It was late, nearly midnight. And though Logan knew he would pay for it in the morning, after coming back to an empty dorm room, he knew he had to straighten things out between him and Cam. After practice he and Kurt went back to Fletcher dorm. He was unceremoniously dragged up to a rather gorgeous 'common' room on the third floor. Kurt explained that it was his and the other three boy's common room. They had the whole floor to themselves. Though Logan wondered how they accomplished that, he didn't ask. Better not to know, he figured.

Between Kurt's strict lessons and Kendall's comforting encouragement, Logan eventually learned the song. It was strange, singing it to another guy, but he knew there was no way out of it. He even felt a little better when Kendall seemed to become more relaxed with the situation, joking with Kurt not to put to much effort into it or else he'd get Blaine jealous.

Logan acted like he didn't hear, but his slight blush said otherwise.

Practicing the song gave him time to be distracted from what happened with Cam, but he knew now he couldn't put it off any longer. So he had come to the only place he was sure Cam would be, the safety of his element.

Eventually Logan came to the door that was marked Backstage. He pushed it open, and was immediately greeted to all the hidden secrets behind the curtain. Levers, props, costumes...the world of theater Logan knew only vaguely through television and books. He kept quiet, trying to discern if he could hear Cam anywhere, and only after he let his ears adjust a moment, did he hear the soft murmuring coming from the other side of the curtain.

Pushing back the large red velvet material, he was greeted with relief at seeing Cam, lounging on a large sofa that was part of a larger set making up a modern day living room. Although he was no actor, Logan had to guess the mix of colors and patters meant they were just there as a skeleton set, props to help them become familiar with their surroundings. But like Logan said, he was no actor.

Cam had a large script in his hands, and he was reading it out loud, his voice naturally picking up the perfect pitch and tone of each world. Logan was almost loath to stop him, but he knew that he couldn't put this off any longer.

"Cam?" Logan said tentatively.

His roommate jumped, not excepting to hear a voice in the darkness, "Logan! What are you doing here?"

Walking over to the set, Logan took a seat on one of the chairs across from the actor, "I came to...talk I guess?" He answered, rubbing the back of his head and completely unsure of where to start.

"About what?" Cam asked, feigning ignorance as he looked away from the boy.

Sighing, Logan said, "Look...I would appreciate if you don't punch me out because of what I'm about to say next. If it helps, I'm covered head to toe in bruises, and I really would appreciate not getting another one." He paused, gauging Cam's now expressionless face, "Are you...yanno?" He couldn't even get it out

Laughter cut him off before he even finished his sentence, and Cam stood up with a jerk to begin walking around the set, ranting, "What? Logan stop being ridiculous. Why would you even-"

"Cam." Logan said forcefully. Probably with more force than he'd ever used in his voice before, "I...I haven't had a lot of friends in my life. So the ones I've got now...I don't want to loose." He hated talking like this...about _feelings_ and stuff. But it was true, and somehow he knew that he was right.

Cam looked at him, a heavy decision weighing in his eyes.

"I wont tell...if that's what your worried about." Logan looked down at his hands, quietly continuing, "I've got more than a few secrets of my own. And those aren't coming out anytime soon." He shrugged, "Just gonna ball yours up with mine is all."

Only when Cam sighed and returned to his seat did Logan look up, only to find Cam looking down at the floor, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Cam?" Logan asked, his voice quiet but encouraging.

"...It's exhausting...pretending all the time." Cam's whispered, but his voice was different now...softer...more...feminine. "You'd think I wouldn't mind...being into acting and all. But you gotta stop sometimes..." He paused before continuing, "You were right." A soft laugh, then those deep brown eyes looked up into his, "I'm a girl."

Swallowing, Logan nodded, "Okay." He paused for a second, then, "Um...I promise I wont check you out when your changing."

Laughter erupted from Cam, and this time it was more freeing...real. And Logan realized he had never heard Cam laugh like that before.

"Please. If I was worried you were straight and into girls I would have probably switched for a single a long time ago." She wiped at her eyes, which were tearing from laughter, as well as emotion, and not noticing the stricken look on her roommates face, "Anyways, with the way Kendall looks at you I'm not to worried."

Blushing bright red and stuttering over his words, Logan tried desperately to convince the girl she was wrong, "I'm...I don't...I'm not-" But he was cut off with a wave of her hand.

"Don't worry Logan. We don't have to talk about that right now." She heaved out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping as if they had been carrying a huge weight. Which, in reality, they pretty much were.

"So..." Logan began, hoping to change the subject, and the only thing he could think of was... "Why?"

She shook her head, "It's kind of a long story, but to make it short cause I know were both tired, here's the jist." She looked away from Logan, her eyes searching her scattered thoughts to pinpoint where she should begin...so she just decided to start at the beginning.

"Ever since I could remember, all I've ever wanted to be was an actress. Every one told me it wouldn't be easy, so I worked hard for it...to be the best. I practiced, auditioned, did everything I could to become better than I was the last time I was on stage." She sighed, her story now coming to the point where everything went wrong, "When I started high school...everything was fine. We had a great Drama teacher, and everyone got along really well. But then our teacher had to leave and move to Florida...family issues I heard. But...that's when Mr. Barthos showed up." Her voice took on a bitter tone, and Logan was sure that this man was the reason for Cam's current predicament.

"He was a sleaze from the start...but was cheap and the only teacher our school could afford. Every day he was always grabbing at girls and making remarks. We complained but...no one ever listens to us. We were just being silly and overreacting everyone said." She gave a stark laugh, and then her eyes looked away from Logan, growing watery and distant, "One night, early last year, he cornered me in the changing room. I clawed at him to get away, left a huge scar right here." She traced a gentle finger along her pale cheek, starting with just below the eye and finishing under her chin, "He was livid. Said I'd never get a role in his theater again."

"And your school didn't even do anything then?" Logan asked, but he already knew the answer. He had been on the receiving end of blind stares for to long to not recognize a fellow overlooked victim.

She shook her head, "Said I was being hysterical...a typical overeating female." She held up hands to do air quotes, her face sour. "Almost got expelled." She turned to Logan, eyes pleading for him to understand, "I didn't know what else to do. How do I get into college drama programs when I don't have any portfolio? Any experience?" Holding up her hands, she held them in front of her, as if to show how empty her portfolio would have been if she didn't do something, "I couldn't get into Our Lady Of Sorrows, the all girls school, because of my attack on Barthos. But..." Here she smiled for the first time since she began, yet this smile was filled with all the sneaky cleverness that had gotten her all the way here to Dalton, "I knew some people. They helped me out. Got a new name, an new everything. For a price of course."

"You paid them?" Logan asked, then frowned when she laughed.

"Some yeah. I had some money saved up from commercials and modeling jobs I did when I was younger. But you'd be surprised how desperate some lonely computer nerds are for a date to a dance or a cousins wedding." She shrugged, "Next weekend I'm going to a bar mitzvah. I'll be, Lucinda, an exchange student from L'Italia." She finished, accenting the Italian word with a smile.

"Wow." Logan breathed out, "That's...crazy." He shook his head, "But...did you really need to do all this? Go here? Wasn't there other schools you could go to? Other public schools?"

She shook her head, "We'd have to move to another district, and my parents...they just couldn't afford it. New jobs...new house?" She sighed, "I had to do _something._ This was my dream. I couldn't let this-this _man_ just take it away from me."

Nodding, Logan understood, better than she realized. "I get it. I'm sorry...that you had to go through all this."

She shrugged, "It's just...it's so hard sometimes. Being a girl I mean." At Logan's confused stare, she continued, "If I was a guy this probably never would have happened. But because I'm a girl, I have to go through all this...and there's no guarantee that it'll even work. All this could just _end_ any day, and I'll be left with nothing." She gave a small, bitter laugh, then said, "You know the real reason I didn't try out for Warblers?" At Logan's head shake, she answered, "Because I can pretend to be a boy when I talk...but I can't hide it when I sing."

"Really?" Logan said, surprised.

She nodded then stood, walking over to the piano at the side of the stage. Logan got up and walked over with her, sitting on the bench and watching as she lifted up the cover over the keys.

"I don't normally do musicals. I'm not that great of a singer. But I learned how to play the piano so I could use that technique to keep track of rhythm, to study the importance of beats." She splayed her fingers over the piano, playing some notes softy. "A lot of girls were scared of Mr. Barthos," She said, her voice above a whisper as she turned to Logan, "And rightfully so. But I don't have to worry about stuff like that here. I can't be myself...but I don't have to worry about certain things as much...because I'm pretending to be a boy."

Playing some more notes, she turned back to the piano, and softly continued. "Girls can wear jeans, and cut their hair short...wear shirts and boots. 'Cause it's okay to be a boy..." she trailed off, her voice full of sadness.

Logan wanted to say that he did understand. He got what it was like to be cast aside, branded a certain way by people who were to damn dumb to look past what they saw and acknowledge something more. He, though someone so different from her, could get what Cam was going through. How, being here at Dalton, it held _so_ much for their future And that any small mistake could take it all away.

But he didn't know how to express those words.

So instead, he listened.

Taking a deep breath, Cam continued, her fingers playing a soft melody along the black and white keys that went along with her gentle crooning. (1: The song What it Feels Like for Girl by Madonna was originally posted here, but ffnet forced me to remove it)

__He looked at Cam, really looked at her. She was strong. She had to have been to have gotten to this point. Fooling the world because she believed in her dream, in _herself_, so much. He knew that the two of them had to prove to the world how wrong they were about them. That they were worth so much more than what people thought. Dalton was giving them that chance, and they would be damned if they blew it.

She had a lovely voice, but he could tell it wasn't strong. It wasn't the kind of voice directors of _My Fair Lady_ and _Oklahoma_ would salivate over. Yet, she had the talent to be a great stage actress, to achieve the heights of her dreams. But she had a lot more she would have to overcome to get there. A _lot_ more.

He got it. He knew. He wanted to explain it to her, to share his own sorrows with someone...but he wouldn't. She was already holding her own issues, her own secrets, and even now his own troubles (namely Jett) were spilling over to her. No. He would keep his mouth shut. Keep her out of the troublesome line of fire that belonged to people who intended them nothing but hurt.

It was the least he could do.

* * *

><p>"Get much sleep last night?" Kendall asked Logan, nudging him gently with his shoulder as he walked down the hallway with a sleepy eyed Logan.<p>

The brunette gave him a small side smirk, the kind that Kendall was constantly trying to get from him, and replied, "Just going over the song in my head. I really want to make a good impression on everyone. I'm sure they're all not to thrilled with me so far."

Again, that strong urge to slide his arm around Logan and pull him in close overwhelmed Kendall. He wasn't able to deny it, he totally had a crush on the little brunette. As much as he wanted to just come out and express to Logan how he felt, he knew he couldn't. The boy was unbearably shy, and Kendall had no way to discern if it was the shyness that made Logan shudder and blush when the blond was around, or if he felt the same way. Either or, Kendall was now settling for just getting to be friends with the boy, inserting himself into his life to get closer. That was fine...for now.

They both walked into the Warbler practice room, already a large group of students inside waiting. They all turned to regard Kendall and Logan as they walked in, and Logan had to try hard not to cower under their stares. He could see in each set of eyes that they were judging him, demanding that he prove himself worthy to join their group. He had so far fumbled his basic responsibilities, such as showing up to practice on time...or at all...and needed to redeem himself. Here was his chance...he could _not_ blow it.

Behind him he heard loud humming and turned to see Kurt come strolling confidently into the room, a bright smile shinning on his face when he came across Logan. Throwing a casual arm around the Logan's shoulders, Kurt exclaimed, "We get to sing solo's today! I'm so excited!"

In truth, Logan was excited as well. He had finally had a chance to hear Kurt sing yesterday, and was immensely impressed. His voice was unique and strong, so Logan knew that his voice was an excellent addition to this group. He enjoyed hearing the boy sing, and was glad that he got the chance to perform with someone so talented.

Trying not to wince with Kurt's arm on his shoulder (his back was still immensely sore) Logan forced the boy a smile and nodded. He had gotten better at pushing away his unwanted memories, and was instead focusing on trying to be around the boy and see Kurt for who he is...not shrouded by the ghosts of the past. Logan remembered last night, with Cam, her eyes when he learned the truth about her. There was so much more to people than what was shown on the surface, and Logan didn't want to be the kind of person who only took people at face value.

James's voice echoed throughout the room, and all heads turned to the brunette who came strolling into the room with Carlos and Blaine. "Okay boys. Before we start off, solos first today!"

A loud cheer erupted from the Warblers, and they ushered forward to push Kurt and Logan to the front of the room. They then all took seats around different parts of the room to sit and enjoy the show.

Logan shot Kurt a nervous glance, but the slightly shorter boy was already running a finger and thumb along the edge of his hair on his forehead, his signature move that was both vain and perfect. He looked cool and confident in front of everyone, like he was born to do this.

On the other hand, Logan, who was used to shying away from the spotlight, looked like he was meant to be anywhere but in front of this group.

At the piano, Blaine had taken a seat, and was playing the cool soothing notes to the song Kurt and Kendall taught him. As if in remembrance, Logan looked over to Kendall to see the boy standing just off to the distance a bit, his fierce green eyes trained on him with silent encouragement.

Suddenly his memories came flooding back, Buddha Bob in his darkened office and Kurt and Blaine hidden in the stacks. Something was off about Kendall...something bad. But for some reason...Kendall was using all his goodness to help Logan.

_Strong inside but you don't know it..._

Breathing in that strength, from himself and from Kendall, Logan turned to Kurt who was staring at him, and then nodded. He was ready. (1: The song Kiss Goodnight by Lady Antebellum was originally posted here, but ffnet forced me to remove it)

With a nod and a quick smile at Blaine, who was still not looking to happy about the situation, Kurt turned to the group, waited for the right note, then began.

Knowing it was his turn, that it was now or never, Logan locked eyes with the only person who could give him strength to get through this...

Together Kurt and Logan began to sing next, turning to each other with a smile when their voices then began to blend perfectly together, just as they had practiced.

Kendall was nearly beside himself. He kept it cool on the surface, as impassive as he could be, but inside he was thrilled. Logan's voice was beautiful. The way he worked those words, he did so with a grace and strength without even realizing it. And when Logan looked at him just before he began to sing...was that it? Was that Logan slowly coming to realize that he might have feelings for the blond? Kendall wasn't sure...but it was hope. He would hold onto that, even now, as Kurt began the next part of the song.

Kurt had to admit, Logan was doing excellent. He was nervous the night before, as they practiced the song, and it took a while for him to get everything right, but the diva had to admit, the boy was doing much better than he thought he would. Though, he knew Logan didn't deserve all the credit. Kurt smiled as he looked over at Kendall, whose eyes were trained solely on Logan. The blond had been an immense help in encouraging Logan. Right then Kurt decided that it was time those two needed a little help from the love bug, and was more than happy to fill in those shoes. 

Everyone seemed to be enjoying it, Logan couldn't help notice as he sang with Kurt. Their voices did match well, and he was glad that things were working out. Even James seemed slightly impressed, but Logan didn't tread to hard on that thought. He had every intention of staying out of the divas way from now on. His eyes trailed back to Kendall, and he continued, making his cheeks flush a bit at the words he was saying. He still wasn't going..._there_...but Cams words echoed in his head from last night. About him...about Kendall.

As they finished that last note, the entire room erupted in applause. Logan and Kurt were beaming, and Kurt grabbed Logan to push him down so that they could do an awkward bow. Blaine walked over to the two, clasping Logan on the shoulder with a small smile, "You did a great job." Logan nodded, but his eyes slid over to Kendall, who was beaming as he walked over.

Blaine nodded to Kendall, then moved over to Kurt who was surrounded by a few other Warblers expressing their congratulations. Blaine had to smirk at the sight, knowing that Kurt was probably soaking all this up.

When Kendall got to Logan, he pulled the boy in for a hug, saying, "I'm so proud of you. You did amazing!"

Logan had to bite his lip to keep a hiss of pain from escaping, but he returned the hug the best he could. It helped that Kendall smelled so good, felt so good, that his mind was only mildly distracted from the pain.

When Kendall pulled back, he still held onto Logan's arms. But his face turned into a frown and he held up a hand and placed it on Logan's face, "You're really pale. Are you all right?"

Was he all right? Right now a million emotions flew through Logan. Relief from finishing the song, giddy from Kendall's touch, tired from the pain from his back, but he nodded. "Fine. Just...glad that's over."

"For now." Came James voice as he walked over to the two, "Both of you are required to try out for solos for Sectionals." Then he turned to Kurt, "Like I'd have to order you though."

Kurt shrugged, "What can I say?" He gave a dramatic sigh as he ran his hand along his hair again, "I'm just destined for the spotlight."

As Blaine smiled and held back a chuckle, James rolled his eyes, and Kendall gave a soft laugh, Logan even broke out a grin at the boy.

"How about we let them enjoy this one for now James?" Blaine said as Carlos came bouncing up to Kurt and launching himself into the boys arms, "You did amazing!" The Latino exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Kurt yelled, not expecting this sudden weight. They both toppled over to the ground, causing the rest of the boys to laugh.

"Carlos!" Kurt yelled from under the boy, and the Latino was smiling and laughing as he helped his friend up.

After watching the two, Logan turned back to Kendall, and realized the boy still had his hands on him. He gently took a step back, shaking off the boys touch, but kept a smile in place. Kendall noticed the movement, and let his hands fall back to his sides, but kept his green eyes locked onto the nervous chocolate ones.

"So tomorrow begins our own lessons huh?" Kendall said, trying to sound casual.

Logan smiled and nodded, "Yep. Make sure you bring your text book from Professor Glendales class. You keep falling asleep as soon as he talks about theoretical physics."

Letting out a small whine Kendall said, "But its sooooo boring."

"You can still change classes." Logan answered, crossing his arms. He heard James beside him calling everyone together to come around the piano and begin practicing.

"No way." Kendall said with a smile, wrapping an arm around Logan's shoulders. He was not liking not being able to touch Logan, "If I changed classes then I wouldn't have you poking me in the side to wake me up." He smirked, "It's the challenge I enjoy."

"The challenge to keep sleeping when I'm poking you?" Logan answered with a small laugh.

"...Something like that." Kendall said with a smile, it only growing wider when Logan shook his head.

"Dalton students...so weird." He said, earning a laugh from Kendall.

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><p><strong>Aw they're all becoming friends! I guess this means it's time to cause trouble!<strong>

**xoxo BA **


	8. Chapter 8

**I apologize if you clicked on this thinking it was a new chapter, but I'm afraid this is not the case, yet I have to say this. Some of you may have noticed in my reviews section that I'm being..._informed_...by the Peacekeepers of (yes you are the online fanfiction versions of the Hunger Games narcs. I hope you're proud) of some rules I apparently broke. And, I broke them unknowingly. I never really thought such ridiculous rules, existed...but apparently they do! Go figure.**

**So, under strict notice by the Peacekeeper, I have been warned that they will tattle on me to the powers that be (welcome back to Kindergarten kiddos!) and my story will be removed if I don't do as they say. As much as it sucks, there will be changes from here on out so that I can keep my story alive.**

**First: I have to get rid of all the songs. Even though you can throw a dart in the dark and find a fic in any fandom on this website that will have songs in it, again I've been warned by the Peacekeeper that I have to follow this rule. I hate to loose this since I really believe it brings a lot of character to a story, but I have no choice.**

**Second: I have to move my story to the crossover section of Glee and Big Time Rush. I hate to do it, since I did that when I first published my story and NO ONE read it. Later I found out that it was because, as many of you said in your reviews, you don't watch Glee. And that's fine! You read my story because you like the Kogan, which is why I posted it in BTR, cause it's a Big Time Rush fic. So, as much as I HATE to say this, if you want to keep up with my story, please favorite it or add an email alert. I truly believe I shouldn't have to ask this of you, but again, I've got the Peacekeepers breathing down my back.**

**I will continue posting here until I can figure some stuff out. And if you are keeping up with my _Proof of Love_ story, I will mention when I post new chapters if I've posted with _Meet the Warblers_. I really am sorry to have to say all this, I think it's ridiculous whats going on. I wouldn't even be doing all this if I didn't think people were reading my story, but I keep up with the story stats and I know that many of you are. So if you are still reading this, I hope you understand that I am not making these changes by choice. **

**Thank you for understanding. I appreciate all of your support and reviews and you all have been so amazing. I love you all for what you've said about me and my story, and I am going to keep trying to make you happy with this story. Thank you all so much and I hope you will keep reading despite what's going on. **

**xoxo BA**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you again to everyone who supported me with what was going on with the peacekeepers. I am so glad that you all still want to read my story, and are willing to stick with me during these ridiculous changes. I'm really sorry to see this huge part of my story go, and if it wasn't for your support I probably wouldn't have even continued. So thank you again and I hope you enjoy whats next! I really really really love this chapter and I'm so excited to share it with you! I made it nice and long so you could enjoy it! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You are the whole reason I'm continuing this! Love you all!**

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><p>Kendall loved hockey. It came as natural to him as breathing. Not so simple, not so easy, but he needed it to live just as much as every ounce of oxygen that pumped through his veins. No questions, no additions, nothing. Just hockey, and Kendall loved it with everything in him.<p>

Well..almost everything. There was a certain brunette who was starting to his days all that much more liveable, and for that Kendall could feel himself falling even harder than before.

But despite that, no matter how many times Kendall walked through those double doors into Dalton's own private hockey rink, he always got a small shiver going up and down his spine in anticipation. The chill in the air. The smell of the ice ready to for sharpened skates. The feel of his jersey and protective gear upon tense muscles. It was all there, and ready for Kendall to make it his own.

As much as he loved singing with the Warblers, the rink would always be where he felt most comfortable, most alive. With the Warblers he was loved, but with hockey...it was a challenge that pushed everything in him, and he loved it by pushing back.

The Dalton locker room was large, big enough for twice as many students as they had on their team, but it suited the boys fine. They had so much gear, often they needed two lockers to hold everything they used for the game. Dalton's colors of dark blue and red laced every corner of the room, from the midnight blue of the lockers to the blood red floors and doors. Even their white jerseys held their schools colors in the names and symbols they bore.

The room was abuzz with excitement. Last practice the votes for captain had been cast, and with no surprise, Kendall had won.

The blond couldn't help but toss Hawk a triumphant smile towards the older mans sneer. And when he shook Jett's hand, his grin grew even wider at the boys fiery defeat in his eyes.

Yes. Kendall loved hockey...and _everything_ that came with it.

Kendall listened but didn't add anything to the conversations going on around him. His teammates were just as eager as he was to get onto the rink. Tryouts were over, and this was the final lot they would be playing with for the rest of the year. Every player was curious to see what kind of team they would be playing with, and if they should count on being any kind of force to reckon with for this season.

And with Kendall at the reigns? Most players had a good idea where this team was about to go.

Beside him James was humming quietly to himself as he brushed his hair. Kendall had to wonder how many times a day he actually did this. Though it was a routine, as many players had, to perform certain rituals before going onto the ice, Kendall couldn't help but wonder what the point was to make himself look good if, two hours from now, James would just be a hot mess.

Kendall was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard a locker slam shut, and turned to regard the noise. Dak was walking towards Jett, with the blonds two cronies walking away from Dak carrying a smirk and mischief in their eyes. Kendall knew them well, as he had played hockey with them these past two years. Jeremy and Zachary. Both boys followed Jett around like they were his own henchmen, and from what Kendall knew the boys probably were. They were both similarly built in height and stature of over six feet with wide shoulders, but where Jeremy had blond hair and hazel eyes, Zach carried dark hair and icy blue orbs.

They bumped Dak with their shoulders, and even though Dak glared at them, he ignored them to talk to Jett quietly. The blond Burton turned to Dak as he finished sliding on his jersey, nodded, and followed Dak out of the locker room.

Frowning, Kendall followed, not sure if he liked where this might be going. He still wasn't sure about Dak's relationship with Logan, but these two were his teammates and now, as their captain, he felt he should know if things were going sour between them. He knew all to well how things off the rink could make a huge difference on the ice.

Quietly Kendall snuck after them, following their path to a long hallway that led to the back entrance of the rink. In keeping his distance, he was a bit late getting to the conversation, but he was about to catch up real quick. His back was against the wall that led to the corner of the hallway hidden safely so he could listen to the echo and hear every word.

"...two ugly cronies. Said something to me about watching the little birds back cause he can't fly yet?" Dak's voice angrily hissed at Jett.

"I'm not sure I follow." Jett said, amusement in his voice.

"Oh I think you follow me perfectly. They were talking about Logan, weren't they? What did you do to him?" Dak shot back.

Kendall's chest constricted when he heard Logan's name. Was it true? Did Jett do something to him? Anger coursed through his body fast, but he breathed it back down to continue listening.

"Nothing really. I just think if someones going to pretend to be a bird they should at least know how to fly. I was just...testing out the theory...so to speak." Jett sneered.

Kendall jumped when he heard a loud bang, and turned quickly to peek around the corner. Dak was shorter than Jett by a good foot, but he had gained strong muscles from his long hours with sports and now had a serious bone to pick with this boy. Dak had slapped his hands against the wall besides Jett and was threateningly close to the boy.

"Look. You may get your prep school jollies out of hassling poor kids, but if you really need to get such a hard on for making someone else miserable, pick on someone who can actually defend himself. Unless you enjoy getting off on messing with the weak?" Dak shot at Jett.

The blond pushed Dak back, his face ablaze with anger, "You should spend more time worrying about yourself than your little boyfriend Dak."

Kendall's fists clenched when Jett said boyfriend, but kept his mouth closed. He watched as Dak righted himself, replying "Logan's not my boyfriend." Kendall let out a quiet sigh of relief, "He's my friend. And if I find out your hurting him again I'll go straight to Dean Griffin."

Scoffing, Jett said, "Good luck with that. The word of some poor scholarship student against the son of a senator with Dalton's revered hockey coach backing him up?" Jett's laughter echoed in the hallway, "Sure. Go right ahead."

When footsteps started heading his way, Kendall quickly dashed for the janitors closet a few doors down the hallway, sliding inside just in time. He waited patiently for the sounds of the two boys passing by him to fade away, until he was alone.

But not hiding.

No.

Kendall didn't hide.

He planned. He waited. And then, when the time was right...

He got revenge.

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><p>Logan stood rigid, staring at the board in front of him. A complex equation made of chalk filled the green space he regarded, smears of that same chalk on his hands, face and parts of his shirt.<p>

He had been working out this equation for almost an hour, and was close. So damn close...

"Time." A voice said from beside him, and he turned with a grunt to it's source.

"I'm close. I just can't figure out where that variable is supposed to go-" He began, but the man holding the old fashioned stop watch waved his words away and stood. Buddha Bob, covered in chalk as well but with more on his beard than his argyle sweater, took the chalk from Logan and walked over to the board, placing a figure in a spot Logan had stared at for a good twenty minutes.

"There." The elder man said, smiling at Logan's growl of frustration.

"Of course!" Logan exclaimed, kicking Buddha Bobs ratty old couch with the gusto of a defeated champion. Since they were in professor Bobs office, there was no worry for damaging Dalton property, but Logan still looked ashamed after his foot connected with the object.

"Sorry." The younger of the two muttered, taking the chalk back to make a note on the bord.

"No worries. Worse has been done to this room." The man said, walking over to his fridge and grabbing a blueberry concoction he had made just for this study session. He tossed one over to Logan, who took it gratefully. Now that the topic had come to mind, Buddha finally decided to touch on the real subject he had been wanting to discuss with Logan for a while.

"So...rumor has it you joined the Warblers." The professor said, plopping down on the couch as he spoke.

Raising an eyebrow that the Professor would care about such things, Logan nodded, "Yeah. Thought it would be a good way to take a break from my studies sometimes. Not get so overwhelmed."

The professor nodded, agreeing with Logan's words. But something else made him push further, "And...in the group...is Kendall."

His fears were confirmed when at the mention of the blonds name, the boy shrugged and turned away, but not fast enough that the professor didn't see the tint of a blush caressing his cheeks.

"Well...yeah. But there are other people there to. I'm...making friends." He paused to take a sip of his drink, "That's good...right?"

"Why wouldn't it be good?" The professor asked.

Logan began to pace a bit as he talked, running his free hand through his hair, unknowingly smearing more chalk onto his dark locks, "Well...I don't know. I've never really...had friends before. And I guess...as someone who is interested in having a future in the academic field I should be more concerned with spending my time pursing intellectual advances rather than learning about..."He paused and threw the professor a helpless look, "Lady Gaga?"

Jerking his head back in confusion, Buddha Bob asked, "What's a Lady Gaga?"

Plopping on the couch next to the man, Logan sighed, "I want to say who...but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate."

Clearing his throat so he could get back onto solid ground with this conversation, the elder man said, "Well...either way, I'm glad to hear that you're getting along with your peers. But I do have my concerns."

Even though a flash of Jett pushing him down the stairs entered his thoughts, Logan pushed them away to focus on Buddha Bobs words. He had made friends, more than he ever hoped to dream of. But his thoughts stopped when he heard that last bit, "Oh...because of what you said about Kendall?"

Sighing, Professor Bob turned to Logan, "It's not my place to tell you of things that aren't my business. But I didn't say what I did that night for frivolities. I want you to be on your guard with that boy."

Biting his lip Logan answered, "He seems nice enough-"

Shaking his head Buddha Bob cut him off, "He is nice. That's isn't the problem. He's a good kid. He's got issues...but he's a really good kid with a good shot at a great future. The only thing standing in the way of that future is himself."

Logan was still so confused, "I don't understand."

Sighing, the professor stood, "I know. And I hope you never do." He walked over to the chalkboard and erased the equation. Then he picked up a fresh piece of chalk and when he began writing again he said, "All right, let's see how well you do with this one."

* * *

><p>James stretched as he walked up the long staircase heading to the third floor of Fletcher Manor. His muscles ached and his sweatpants and long shirt were sticking to him...but he felt good. Damn good. Today's hockey practice went well, and he knew once everyone got a good feel for each other, they would be a strong force against the other teams this year. Kendall was a good captain, and even though Hawk could be a right pain in the ass, he knew the game and how to win it.<p>

He was glad the season would be starting up soon. As much as he loved Warblers, he shared Kendall's enthusiasm with the ice, and also enjoyed how in shape it kept him. It was also the only time he didn't mind helmet hair so much.

Well, not _to_ much.

Shifting his duffel bag filled with his hockey gear, he finally made it to the third floor and started down the hallway to his room, wondering where Carlos might be. Considering the time he assumed at the library, which gave him enough time to shower, change and meet him there-

"Qué te ha dicho?"

James stopped as he walked past their common room. Carlos's voice was trailing out of the slightly open door. With a frown the boy dropped his bag to the floor before gently stepping inside the room.

Carlos sat rigid on the couch, speaking clipped, perfect Spanish into his phone. He was unaware of the rooms new inhabitant, and didn't even realize James was heading his way until the pretty boy climbed onto the couch behind him. James was distraught to see Carlos's face pale and tight.

With a jerk, Carlos turned his head and questioningly glared at the taller boy, but relaxed when James slid down the couch directly behind Carlos, pushing the boy forward a bit so James could settle behind him, then wrap his long arms around the boy and pull him in close so that Carlos's back was against his chest.

Carlos was tense, but when James laid his forehead on Carlos's shoulder, the Latino slowly relaxed, bringing a hand up to grasp onto James's arm across his stomach, loving the strong muscles holding him in a tight embrace as the pretty boys musky scent swirled around him, making his head spin with want.

Carlos continued the phone call, speaking politely into the phone, but James steadied him. Kept him sane and his voice not so shaky as it was before.

Not to long afterward, Carlos finished the phone call with a terse, "Por favor, le dirá mamá me ha dicho hola." Then hung up, letting the phone slip from his fingers onto the floor as if it had just burned his hand. Silence filled the room, and Carlos was sure he would float away into it if James wasn't here keeping him anchored to the ground.

With a slight movement, James lifted his head, but only to trail soft kisses along Carlos's neck. He whispered, "You promised you wouldn't call them unless I was here."

Whimpering into the touch, Carlos answered, "I know. He called me. I didn't want to answer but-I-it's my own fault. I forgot. I should have called sooner but I-I just get so distracted sometimes. Please don't be mad-"

"Shh." James whispered, reaching a hand up to turn Carlos's face towards him, "It's all right love." James continued before kissing Carlos. His hand trailed up to the boys soft hair, and held him close as James lovingly mapped out Carlos's mouth and lips with his own. When he pulled back he said, "I'm not mad. Just worried." He ran his knuckles along Carlos's face, "Was it bad?"

Carlos slid his eyes away to shake his head, but James cupped the Latino's face and pulled him back so that their eyes were meeting, "Carlos." James demanded, stern but with no malice.

Biting his lip Carlos answered, "He was mad that I didn't call sooner to give him my progress for the semester so far. But-I-I just like being here...you know? Even if it's just a phone call it still...takes me away from here. I don't want to leave...even if it's just in my head."

James nodded, "I know baby. That's why I want to be here when you call home. Your father..." James trailed off to take a steadying breath before he continued, "I know how things are with your father. What he does to you. What kind of things he says." Again, the anger flared up, but he calmed himself by pulling Carlos in close and breathing in his sweet, energetic scent, "And I don't want you to be alone when this happens. God knows you're alone enough with him during the summer. When you're here I want to be able to help you...be here for you as much as I can."

Carlos curled into James as the taller of the two hoisted him up so that he was situated on his lap. Carlos loved the boys strength in his words and touch. "I know. Thank you." His resolve was crumbling under James's strong hands, and no matter how much he tried to fight it, he knew he could fall apart safely with James there to catch him each time.

Feeling the smaller boy begin to tremble in his arms, James pulled back and said, "What do you need from me love?" James brought his forehead so that it touched Carlos's briefly, "I'll give you anything. Anything you want."

Looking up at James with big, wet brown eyes, Carlos blinked a couple of times, but the tears began to fall anyways, "Make me forget? Just for a minute?"

"For as long as you want." James whispered, then leaned forward and kissed Carlos, holding him tight as he soothed and erased the last few memories of Carlos's connection to his home away from Dalton. James shifted so he could lay Carlos on the couch, then draped himself over the boys body, kissing away the tears that fell.

"Shh." James whispered, bushing the falling droplets away with his thumb, "No more of that. I'm here. It's okay. I'm here."

"Never go then." Carlos whispered back, arching into James's touch and letting out the kind of moan James dreams of. Soon the taller boy began working his tongue and lips on Carlos's neck, sliding his hands down to grasp onto Carlo's strong hips.

With his love fully marked once again, James turned to Carlos's face and kissed him, sending each message of love and want directly to Carlos's heart.

Just as James's hands began to trail down to Carlos's dark pants, the door to the common room slammed shut, causing Carlos to jump and pull away from James. The taller boy, however, growled and turned to the source of the noise.

Kurt, though a light blush tinted his cheeks, was standing there with a hand on his hip and his other hand holding some books, glared at the two, "The rules are no fooling around in the common room. If Blaine and I aren't allowed, then neither are you to."

James turned icy blue eyes at the boy and sneered, "Like you've allowed Blaine to go past first base." He paused to scoff, "And I'm pretty sure first base for you is waiting in the dugouts for everyone else."

Now with his ears pink, Kurt opened his mouth to retort back, but Carlos jumped up, tugging on James's hand, "It's okay. We were just about to leave anyways." He reached down and grabbed his phone, his own face blazing because he was sure Kurt could see the trails of tears still smeared on his face.

James crawled off the couch, draping his arm around Carlos's shoulders and pulling him in close. "It's all yours." James said to Kurt as they walked out of the room.

Kurt nodded, watching them go. He was all set to give them a piece of his mind, but the moment he saw Carlos's face he kept his mouth diplomatically shut. If he didn't know better, he might have thought James was the cause of those tears. Considering the boys' general disregard for anyone's feelings, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch. But he was all to familiar with James's loving regard for the Latino, so whatever was bothering Carlos, he knew James was just trying to make him feel better.

He hopped he succeeded.

James grabbed his bag on the way to his room where he left it outside the common room door. He kept his arm around Carlos's shoulder, bringing the boy to his room.

When he shut the door and dumped his bag on the floor, Carlos giggled and rubbed his face with his hands, which didn't help his blush at all. He hated getting caught by his friends, but it happened more often than he liked, though he couldn't complain. He loved how protective James got with him, how much the pretty boy could barely keep his hands to himself when they were together. It made his skin sizzle and heart beat like crazy.

James turned to Carlos with a feral smile, loving that no matter how many times the two of them had been together, Carlos always was so innocent and nervous before they began to become intimate. Carlos stood in front of James, looking a bit lost and disheveled, so James took the lead, which he never minded doing so, and pulled Carlo's in close, wanting to resume their previous activity.

He was surprised, however, when Carlos put up his hands, gently resting them on James's strong chest, and said, "Wait."

Stilling, as he was ever the servant to his loves words, James said, "What? What's wrong?"

Carlos pulled out of James's embrace and walked over to the boys bed. He hesitated, than hopped up so he could sit on the edge of it, "I wanted to ask you something before we get...distracted."

Nerves settled into James's stomach, and he was worried, as he always secretly worried, that Carlos was going to bring up ending their relationship. He never knew why he couldn't get over that fear, but it gnawed at him during his most paranoid moments.

Taking in an act of indifference, James said, "Okay. What's up?" He placed a hand on his hip and tried to act nonchalant, but his stomach was doing flip flops. He sometimes wondered if Carlos ever knew what kind of hold he had on him.

Carlos folded his hands, then unfolded them, then folded them once more, "I wanted to know why...why you've been giving that Logan kid a hard time."

Raising his eyebrows, James frowned and walked over to Carlos, "Oh." He sat on the bed next to Carlos, "Did Kendall put you up to asking me this?"

Shaking his head, Carlos turned to James, "No. It's just a bit...different."

James snorted, but with no kind of malice he used on others, then pushed off the bed, taking off his shirt, "What's so different about it than how I treat everyone else who annoys me?"

Carlos got distracted for a moment by James's half naked body, watching as the taller boy went to his closet and started rummaging through it, "Um...oh...right um well it's just...you-you seem to have been signaling him out a lot more than the other Warblers-" Carlos began, but James cut him off, poking his head out of the closet to regard his love.

"Well you can blame Kendall for that." He said before darting back inside.

With a frown, Carlos asked, "Kendall? Why is it his fault-?" But James walked out of the closet with a handful of shirts which he plopped onto the bed, going through each one as he answered.

"Because Kendall's into Logan. It's so obvious he might as well wear a sign that says 'Can I put my dick inside of you? Please and thank you!' It's ridiculous."

Carlos considered this. He knew that Kendall was into Logan, but it still didn't answer his question, "But then...shouldn't we be encouraging him? Supporting what he wants and...I don't know...not scare away the object of his affections?" Carlos leaned over and picked out a dark blue shirt, then handed it to James.

James regarded a dark blue shirt for a moment, "I agree."

Blinking, Carlos waited a beat for more. But when nothing else came forth from his Adonis's mouth, Carlos tried again, "So..."

Sighing, James put down his shirt and said, "Have you really not noticed?"

Shaking his head, Carlos replied, "Notice what?"

James smiled as he walked around the bed and back over to Carlos. He then slipped off his pants so he was only in his blue and white boxers. Carlos's throat went bone dry at the action, and he trembled a bit from want as James kicked his pants away before he walked closer to him to the bed. James spoke quietly as he began to crawl onto the large, king sized bed, "Haven't you noticed at Warblers...," he continued his crawl to Carlos as the Latino laid back on the bed, helpless as prey against his lion lover now hovering over him, "That Kendall baby's Logan?"

Blinking through his growing lust, Carlos was silent for a moment before he could full understand James's words, "Wait...what?" Carlos asked when it all came together, "Kendall doesn't-"

"He does." James said, crawling off of Carlos to lay against the pillows at the head of his bed. He motioned for the boy to follow him, and when Carlos crawled over and molded his body against the almost naked boy, he continued, "Take it from someone who knows what it's like to care so much about someone they will do whatever it takes to shield them from all that bad things in the world."

Carlos flushed at that, and buried his face into Jame's arm, "James..." Carlos groaned, but smiled when James leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"It's not a bad thing love. But when it comes to stuff like the Warblers, it cant be like that. This group is for competitions, and no one there will take Logan seriously and consider him a useful teammate if he's constantly being protected by Kendall and unable to prove his worth." James ran his hair through the dark locks that he loved, "They'll start to resent Logan for it. Calling him Kendall's pet or boy-toy if Logan can get away with breaking the rules or not knowing the music."

When Carlos looked up at him, realization slowly dawning onto his adorable features, he said, "So...you did all that...for what? To show that Logan can be a team player?"

"Partly." James answered, "And partly to show that he is worth having on the team. That he can sing, and, if he is willing to work hard, that he is just as worthy to be in this group as they are." He shrugged, "If we listened to Kendall, then Logan never would have been able to show his teammates what talents he has. That it's not just luck on his part, but that he can really do it." He paused, "And Logan really wants to do it. He wants to experience the spotlight. He never would have tried out if he didn't."

Carlos stared at James, silent, stunned, and even more amazed by this boy than ever before.

James frowned at Carlo's silence, and said quickly, "I'm more than a pretty face you know. I can think too! Not just good for singing and dancing and fuc-" but Carlos cut him off, silencing his small rant with a kiss that James was happy to accept.

When Carlos pulled back, he smiled and said, "You are so amazing."

Giving the boy a small laugh, James answered, "I know."

Shaking his head, Carlos laid back down on James's side, then knowingly replied, "And...you totally like Logan."

"Ugh. Let's not go that far." James said, but Carlos didn't need to look up to know that his loving boyfriend was sharing his smile.

Suddenly James's phone began beeping, breaking the comfortable silence that settled around them. With a huff James stepped off the bed and walked over to his hockey bag. It took a moment but he finally fished out his phone and opened it.

"Hm. Kendall wants to meet. Says he has a secret mission." James smiled with mischief when he turned to Carlos, "You interested?"

Groaning, Carlos shook his head, "Ugh. Don't tempt me. I promised Fernando I would be good this year." He slid off the bed, walking over to James, "And I'm also trying not to get myself a third strike. Last year I was lucky to be allowed at Sectionals after the Jello incident at the pool."

Laughing James nodded, "To be fair I warned you that it would look suspicious if you went around campus with a blue mouth." He kissed said mouth before continuing, "You never listen to me."

Raising an eyebrow, Carlos replied, "I listen when it counts."

Sliding his arms around the boy, James tossed him back onto his bed before crawling back on and on top of Carlos, "Oh yeah? Do you hear what I'm saying now?" And he leaned forward and began kissing the boys neck with enthusiasm.

Moaning into the touch, Carlos ran his hands through James's amazing locks and said, "Loud and clear."

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><p>Logan hovered outside Kendall's dorm room door. It was later that night, and already the sounds of the students winding down could be heard throughout the dorm. Dinner had long since passed, and Logan knew Kendall never skipped dinner, especially after hockey practice, which Logan also knew was today. He had dinner with Buddha Bob in the elder mans office, still working on those figures and equations that continued to elude Logan frustratingly.<p>

Though he and Kendall normally met in the Fletcher common room for their weekly meetings, Kurt currently had it occupied with some other classmates who were cramming for a Spanish exam. When he had asked Kurt what he was having trouble with, the boy, in an uncharacteristic outburst of anger, exclaimed, "My problem is my previous Spanish teacher spent more time learning how to rap than actually learn the language he was supposed to teach!" He finished with a small scream of frustration before the door was slammed in Logan's face.

Not for the first time did Logan wonder what kind of life Kurt led before coming to Dalton.

He rose his hand to knock on Kendall's door, then lowered it. He rose it one more time...than lowered it.

"Stop being such a wimp." Logan hissed at himself. Taking a deep breath he hopped around in a circle once, shaking his arms and telling himself again to just man up. Finally he raised his hand once more...than knocked.

Before he even finished the polite third knock, the door swung open, revealing a red faced, brightly smiling Kendall who looked at Logan with surprise and...a little bit of guilt? 

"Logan!" Kendall exclaimed, "What are you doing here I thought we were going to meet at the common room-?"

"Kurt commandeered it." Logan answered with a small shrug, "I was wondering if it would be okay to use your room? Or we could go to the library?" He smiled apologetically, "I would offer my dorm but..." He trailed off, both knowing the new rules that had been applied recently that forbade Fletcher students on Burton grounds.

Excitement filled Kendall's green eyes and he threw open his door wide, "Sure! Come in! Please!"

Logan nodded and stepped inside, surprised to see James lounging on Kendall's bed, looking through the records Kendall had laid out for them.

"Hey." Logan said to the boy who only replied with a mumble and didn't look up. Logan shifted uncomfortably, never sure how to act around the prima donna who always seemed to have it out for him.

"Logan's here for our study session so...get out James." Kendall said walking over to the pretty boy and grabbing a giant black duffel bag, "And thanks again for your help."

James turned to Kendall with a roll of his eyes and grabbed the bag, "Whatever." James huffed and walked away, never even looking at Logan.

When the door shut, Logan turned to Kendall who was walking back over to the smaller boy, "Did I do something to offend him?"

Kendall laughed and shook his head, "No. That's just James. Everyone existing offends him."

_Except Carlos_, Logan thought. But kept his mouth shut.

"So you ready for your next lesson? You're not getting bored after doing this for three weeks?" Kendall said, grabbing his laptop from his desk.

"Nope." Logan answered, taking off his jacket, "I'm learning a lot. What do you have for me next?" He stopped and looked at the back of Kendall's head before walking over to the boy.

"You have something in your hair." Logan said and reached up to pluck a small feather out of Kendall's blond locks. Just as he did, Kendall turned and faced the boy. Logan swallowed thickly, realizing that their faces were only a few inches apart.

Kendall blinked, surprised at their sudden closeness, but his stomach did a flip. He could almost smell Logan, whose scent was that of coffee and library books. It made his knees weak in a way he had never felt before...and never wanted it to go away.

Logan suddenly laughed uncomfortably and stepped back, looking down at the light yellow object in his hand, "It's a feather." Logan whispered, then looked back up at Kendall.

The blond was staring at him quietly, then reached out and took the feather out of Logan's hands. Their fingers brushed gently against each other, and Logan couldn't help but let out a soft, barely audible gasp at the electric shock that tingled up his spine when Kendall touched him.

But Kendall heard him.

"Ready to listen to some music?" Logan said, trying to break the moment, though he so desperately didn't want it to end.

Kendall still stared at Logan for a long moment, before he smiled and nodded, "Sure." He answered, then gently placed the feather on his desk.

_Two hours later..._

"And this is Billie Holiday."

Logan stared up at Kendall as the boy double clicked on the screen of his laptop, and within moments the melodious crooning of the great female singer filled the blonds dorm room.

The little genius closed his eyes and let the words wash over him as he laid on the floor, surrounded by CD's, vinyl records, song sheets and notes and notebooks filled with music, songs and everything a body needs to become musically inclined.

While Logan enjoyed her caress's with her soft words of love and lost, he was unaware of Kendall's green eyes resting on him, taking in every breath and every movement from his spot next to Logan, leaning up against his bed.

Kendall was in heaven. For the past few weeks he and Logan had met up a few times a week to help tutor him on the ins and outs of music that he had been missing all his life. Technically it was supposed to be a give and take with some physics help thrown in, but Kendall always pushed Logan's part of the deal first, wanting the boy to learn all he could.

"It's beautiful." Logan said, his eyes fluttering open to look into Kendall's green ones. Kendall wanted nothing more than to crawl over to the boy and pepper his relaxed face with kisses.

"You're beau-I mean you're right. She is beautiful. Her voice. It's very beautiful." Kendall rambled, clearing his throat and his eyes moving directly to the laptop, hoping Logan didn't notice his mix up.

Logan smiled at Kendall as he sat up, picking up the woman's record to look over the songs, but his head as spinning. He was enjoying spending so much time with Kendall. They spent hours just sitting and talking over everything, even besides music. He had learned that Kendall loves loves _loves_ hockey, and it's all he wanted to do with his future. He also loves old movies, and was currently compiling a list of movies that he felt Logan should be educated on as well.

"Music, movies...what else are you going to tutor me in?" Logan had joked when Kendall told him about the list. Kendall had a few answers for that question that would probably not have been appropriate to voice out loud, and instead kept them silent, though they kept _him_ awake that night and in a distressed state of constant want.

Logan was glad that he was getting to know the boy more, and loved spending those long hours with him. But he was still unsure about his feelings...about anything really that came with Kendall.

He liked Kendall. A lot. He had truly never felt this way towards anyone else before. But, then again, before Dalton, he hadn't felt many things in general, besides pain and fear. His life before entering those iron gates consisted of a dull gray existence with flashes of hurt and misery. He couldn't feel anything, because feeling something meant that it would be taken away all to soon. And it became just safer to not feel anything at all.

And he was fine with that. He swore.

But now...here...with Kendall. Logan was feeling all sorts of things he couldn't...or was to afraid of...understanding. And either way, if he did go down that path where he might one day acknowledge that he might want something from Kendall besides friendship, it wasn't safe. Not by a long shot.

First, his family would never accept it. His father was very clear about how he felt towards..._those_ kinds of people, and it would be something Logan would have to hide for the rest of his life. Not so much that he was afraid of his fathers disapproval, his father had given him _that_ for years and he was now very comfortable and accepting of that role. But while he was trapped under his family's care, they could make his life very difficult and painful if he wasn't careful. Very careful. He had been under the mercy of his father, and even worse his brother, many times. And this would open a whole new world of hurt for him.

Secondly, there was still Kendall's questionable anger issues. Though Logan had never seen them first hand, the evidence that it was there and very much alive still haunted him and made him hesitate. He was careful in what he said and did, but often just felt so comfortable around the boy that his caution fell aside quickly, and he forgot himself in the joy of being close to the blond haired boy that was quickly capturing his heart.

Logan sighed and shook his head. If he was honest with himself he already knew what he wanted. That wasn't the problem. It was just deciding if the risk was worth the punishment he would suffer for his blatant attempts at being happy. Logan was no stranger to punishments, but there were some things he wasn't going to risk loosing, like his future, and would suffer the smaller losses to avoid the bigger ones.

But he just wasn't sure which loss was small...and which was to big to loose?

"What do you think?" Kendall asked Logan, tearing the boy from his thoughts.

Logan blinked, looking at Kendall. His blond hair, green eyes, easy smile and kind words that wrapped around Logan like a blanket of warmth he had never known.

"I think...I like it." Logan answered.

Kendall smiled, "I like it to."

* * *

><p>"You worried about Dak?"<p>

Jett stopped walking up the stairway to the second floor of Burton, a frown perched upon his lips as he turned to his friend. Or, not so much friend as assistant, at least he liked to think.

The boy was useful...but not the brightest. He was good for following orders, and Jett appreciated that about him.

Except when he opened his mouth.

"Jeremy, why would I be worried about some trash like Dak Zevon?" Jett said rolling his eyes as he turned around and continued up the stairs. "He can go around acting like he's tough, but I know what buttons to push. He doesn't worry me a bit." Jett knew his words were convincing, and exactly what Jeremy wanted to hear.

But it wasn't what he felt, at least...he wasn't sure. Dak Zevon made his skin boil with anger and annoyance. Ever since that confrontation at practice yesterday Dak had been on Jett's mind. It drove Jett crazy that the boy had the audacity to step up to him and call him out on his actions. Especially when the boy had so much to loose. He had done worse to students here, but it was Dak Zevon, already his future on such a thin line, who wasn't afraid of pushing the boy who could snap that line in two on a whim.

Jett wasn't sure if he respected Dak for that, or if it just made him more annoyed.

Stopping outside his dorm room, Jett continued, "Whatever. And what's the worse he's going to do? Sick a bunch of those Warbler looser's after me?"

At his sneer, Jett and the other boy began laughing as the blond opened the door to his room.

And...their laughter stopped.

Inside Jett's room were about thirty birds flying everywhere. Every inch was covered in feathers and white bird leftovers, leaving Jett's room an aviary for the tiny yellow and gray birds. His clothes, books bed...every inch of his room was a mess left over by the Warblers perched carelessly on his space.

Jett stared at the scene for a moment, mouth agape...before he took a deep breath and...

"WARBLERS!"

* * *

><p>Logan walked steadily down the hallway on his way to Warbler practice. He was still getting used to being able to walk through a sea of students without worrying about getting pushed or shoved, and was working on his habit of jumping whenever someone moved to quick near him.<p>

But being with the Warblers helped. He was starting to really enjoy going, but his mind was still racing from last night when he and Kendall listened to music and talked about hockey and Billie Holiday or whatever for a couple of hours. He knew he needed to figure out something soon. His heart was starting to egg him into acknowledging that Kendall was beginning to mean more to him than he realized, and he couldn't keep hiding behind his fears forever.

Or could he? 

Either way he upped his pace, not wanting to be late. Or rather, not wanting to be late for the early practice. He had gotten an email during lunch saying that practice was starting a half an hour earlier today so that they would have extra time to work on choices for Sectionals.

When he came to the doors he stopped to straighten his jacket so Kurt wouldn't give him the evil eye, then ran a hand through his hair so James wouldn't call him out on being unkempt _again_, and finally ran his tongue over his teeth in hopes there was no food there when he smiled at Kendall (which he couldn't stop doing).

Opening the doors, Logan walked in...then stopped.

The Warblers were there, but it was just his teammates. None of the leaders...no Kendall. Logan felt a small stab of disappointment, but kept it hidden as he walked in towards the others.

"Hey." He began, taking a seat next to the group, "Am I early?"

One of the boys stood up, his name Oliver, Logan believed, and shook his head, "Actually no Logan, you're right on time." Oliver stood at nearly six feet with bright green eyes and dark curls. He was still tanned from his trip to Antigua, as he had boasted to his friends, where he spent his summer learning how to sail.

Logan blinked up at the boy, the looked around at the rest of the Warblers. He frowned, then realized that they were all looking at him. Panic began to well up in his stomach, his history of being singled out by his classmates never ending well. He was all to familiar with this scenario, and his instincts told him something was way off.

"What's going on." Logan said, standing up and taking a step back, relaying his exit route. His back was to do the door, and it was about ten steps to get to the handle. They didn't lock the door, and it would only take him half a moment to get it open. It was getting down the hallway and out the building that could be tricky...

Holding out his hands to calm the boy, Oliver said, "We just wanted to talk to you about your future here with the Warblers."

"Okay." Logan said, but turned on foot so that it was facing towards the door, his stance ready to run if need be. Mentally though he went though a sharp berating. How could he be so stupid? How could he have gotten so comfortable? He chided himself for his mistakes. He should have known better.

"It's just...we've been having some issues with some of your Burton classmates." Oliver said, walking forward as the rest of the Warblers stood and walked behind him. "They've been very...vocal in how they feel about you being here."

Sweat began to prickle along the back of Logan's neck when everyone stood, and he had to shake his head to push back some unwanted memories that were beginning to well up. Burton? What did they have to do with this? For a moment his mind became jumbled, and he was mixing up students and faces here with those at his old school. He saw flashes of faces that haunted his dreams, those memories dark and unwanted. He had to keep reminding himself that he was at Dalton...but he was no longer safe. Not anymore.

At his silence, Oliver continued, "They want you to quit. At first we said that's not how we work...but they were insistent." He paused, "In more ways than one."

"How so?" Logan said defiantly, blinking and looking up at the boy as he tried to clear his head. He wanted to know what it was worth for them to do this.

"At first it was your basic bullying...but they knew just where to strike." Oliver explained.

Another boy that Logan recognized as Luke picked up after Oliver, walking to stand next to him, "Not everyone here are rich kids whose parents aren't around. Some of us had to leave because we had our own issues at school we needed to get away from." He looked at the ground, and though it pained Logan, he saw the same misery he to felt mirrored back at him in the dark eyes and hunched frame. Luke was shorter than Logan by a good foot, and was, Logan assumed, a sophomore. The boy still had hope to grow some more, but his handsome features of olive skin and dark hair were already doing much to improve his image.

"Then they began to sweeten the deal." Oliver said, taking back the reigns, "Promised us things...and made good on those promises." He sighed, "I'm sorry Logan. But...you understand...right?"

Suddenly the doors to the room opened, and in came a bouncing Carlos. He was listening to the music blaring through his earbuds coming from his iPhone in one hand. In the other hand he was happily slurping a smoothie. Kendall once told him that the cooks at the school loved Carlos, and often gave him treats and made him special smoothies that he loved.

The short boy came to a stop when he saw that the room was full of students, something he was obviously not expecting. He pulled his earbuds off and grabbed the song sheets he was holding under one arm to toss them on the piano.

"What's up?" Carlos asked, confusion etched onto his features as he walked over to the boys.

Oliver cleared his throat and said, "Logan wanted to meet with us before practice. He wanted us to help him tell you and the others some news." Oliver looked plaintively over at Logan, who stared back at him with hard eyes.

Suddenly...Logan felt it. That feeling he had spent most of his life fighting and trying desperately to control. He knew it's limitations...and its destruction. He felt it slowly trying to consume him, the way he knew it overcame his father and brother...and what it did to them.

He was angry. So very..._very_ angry.

But...it wasn't for nothing that he already knew how to control it. This wasn't the first time Logan felt this, and knew how badly it could be if it took over. How far it could go, and how close he could come to becoming living a mirror image of his family. His biggest fear brought to life.

So instead, he took a deep breath, and focused on how grateful he was that whatever the Burton's were up to, Carlos, and he suspected the other head Warbles, did not have a hand in it.

Swallowing down a huge heaping of hurt, Logan turned to Carlos and said quietly, "I have to quit the Warblers."

Stunned, Carlos took a step forward and grabbed Logan's arm, "What? What are you talking about?" He tried to keep his voice even, "You can't quit."

Logan jerked his arm away, keeping his eyes low and his voice quiet, "I can do whatever I want. This just isn't working out." He lifted his eyes to the other Warblers who were all regarding him with reserved relief, "This is for the best. For everyone."

Then he turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>The library, Logan had to admit, was his most favorite place in the world. Granted, Kendall's embrace was slowly taking over that spot in his heart, but until he could figure out that confusing quandary, the library would still be his shield from the world and it's horrors.<p>

So, since his teammates had just decided to kick him to the curb, Logan once again sought the library's refuge. He was currently hidden in the back stacks on the third floor, hiding in the 800's near the poetry section. The building was near empty, since it was supper time in the dinning hall, and Logan was grateful for the quiet stillness where he could break down without an audience.

"Stupid." He whispered to himself. "So stupid." He had let his guard down. Thought that maybe...just maybe Dalton would be different. But it wasn't. It was exactly like home. Everyone here was exactly like everyone he had ever known. And worse.

He rubbed at his face, furious with his tears and the pain ripping at him. He was embarrassed and angry, but had no outlet for it. The fury inside him rumbled and roared, and he could only sit and feel it gnaw away giant pieces of his heart, helpless to stop it.

"Are you okay?"

Logan jerked towards the voice, ready to shield his face from the newcomer. But he lowered his arm when he realized it was the boy he had briefly encountered earlier in the month when he had been accidentally eavesdropping on Blaine and Kurt.

"Oh. Yeah. I-I'm fine." Logan said, standing and grabbing his bag, "Just...um...all this dust from the books-"

"You're good at lying." The boy said, taking a few small steps towards Logan, "I was still watching you, that day, when you fell. You lied brilliantly then to." Those blue eyes stared at Logan, unblinking, "I'm sorry for frightening you."

A little stunned from his initial statement, Logan answered cautiously, "Oh. It's okay-"

"I'm sorry to about what happened with the Warblers. I'm afraid weakness is something many people have to learn to overcome much to late in life." The boy looked aside for a moment, lost in his thoughts, "You already know that Logan, but you can't fault others for not understanding it."

Logan blinked at the boy, confused at the way he spoke and how knew already knew about the Warblers despite it happening only less than an hour ago. This boy was definitely younger than him, but the words coming out of his mouth were that of an elder man with wisdom beyond his years.

And how the hell did he know his name? "What's your name?" Logan asked, glad that he had at least gotten a reaction out of the boy when those blue eyes turned to him with genuine surprise. He wanted to know how this boy knew about what went on between him and his previous teammates, but it didn't matter now. He wasn't a Warbler any more, and needed to focus on other things now.

"I'm the ghost of the library." The boy answered facetiously, "Don't you remember?"

"That's just a nickname. What's your real name?"

"Does it matter?"

Logan considered it for a moment, then said, "Yes. People can take a whole hell of a lot of things away from us...but we know our names. And sharing them is just as important." He gave a small shrug, "Names have power." He heard it somewhere, once, a long time ago. It stuck with him.

With a smile, the boy said, "Thanks. I'll remember that." He paused and pointed to Logan's bag, "You should get that."

Looking down at his bag, Logan began, "Get wh-?" but his phone began to ring. Logan looked back up at the boy to ask him how he knew his phone was about to ring, but the boy was gone.

"How the-" Logan began, but sighed and shook his head, accepting this as another quirk of Dalton. He reached into his bag and pulled out his phone.

"What's up?" Logan said, answering his beat up old cell phone. He found it in the bag he got from the lost and found at his hometown library, and has been using it ever since. And he'll keep using it as long as the duck tape held it together.

"Hawk's holding an emergency meeting. He wants everyone here, ASAP." Cam said on the other line.

Sighing Logan began heading towards the exit, "Great. What's up with him this time?"

"Who knows? But whatever it is, let's hope it doesn't involve us."

"Knowing our luck?" Logan muttered.

"Yeah. Good luck to us." Cam laughed, but it was tinted with fear. Logan couldn't blame her for being worried. He was to.

* * *

><p>"Wait...run this by me one more time...he quit?" Blaine said, pinching the bridge of his nose where his headache's always seemed to start. He was pacing the practice room for the Warblers, ignoring the quiet talking from his teammates in the corner so he could focus on the mess he had just walked right into.<p>

"Yes." Answered Carlos.

"As in...done. Gone. C'est la vie?" Kurt pipped in next to Blaine, his own voice mirroring the frustration Blaine's held.

"Yes. Yes. And...I think so." Carlos said, tilting his head to the side after contemplating Kurt's last words.

"Did he say why?" Blaine continued, holding out a hand and splaying his fingers wide, as if the answer would fall gently into his open palm.

Crossing his arms, Carlos spun on the chair he was in, turning to the rest of the Warblers. He put on his most intimidating James-like face and said casually, "No. But I could guess these guys could answer that question." He raised a suspicious eyebrow at the boys who all turned to him with guilty expressions before looking at Oliver.

Clearing his throat and tugging gently at an earlobe, Oliver said, "Not sure-uh. Just said he was ready to move on. That this uh-whole singing and dancing thing weren't working out to well for him..."

All voices stopped when the doors to the Warbler's practice room opened. James and Kendall were walking into the room together, apparently arguing over something.

"...won't get caught I promise." Kendall was reassuring James.

"We better not. I'm not getting suspended because you were in the mood to mess with Burton for messing with-" James stopped where he was, frowning at everyone looking at them, "What? No applause?"

"Guys we have a problem." Blaine said, "Logan's quit the group."

"What?" Kendall exclaimed, looking around the room for the brunette, "Why?"

"Ask them." Kurt pointed to the in training Warblers. Oliver sent Kurt a small glare before turning to his leaders, "Look. I don't know okay? He just-" but he stopped when Kendall spun on his heels and dashed out of the room.

James watched him go, then walked over and closed the doors behind him. When he turned back, his face held the wrath of thunder. He ignored the other head Warblers as he began to speak.

"Okay boys." He said, walking calmly back over to them, but his eyes held no sense of nonchalance, "Let's start from the top." He grabbed a chair and spun it around so that when he sat, he folded his leg gently over the other before cupping his knee with his hands, "And for every time someone lies..." He paused, making sure that everyone was listening, "Someone gets cut from the group."

Silence filled the room, but James smiled like he was at a party. That smile only grew wider when he turned back to Oliver, "So...you were saying?"

* * *

><p>Kendall's chest was burning, but he couldn't feel it as he ran out of Greyson Hall. Logan couldn't quit. No. He wasn't going to loose the boy before he even had him. He didn't know why Logan wanted out of the Warblers, but for whatever reason, he wasn't letting him go without a fight. He couldn't care less what anyone in that room had to say. He was going to find out from the source, and then change his mind no matter what.<p>

First he had to find him. Where could he be? Where would he go? Back to the dorm? Maybe...but Kendall wasn't sure. He was just about to head towards Burton and try to find a way in when he decided to head towards the library first. For some reason it seemed like the most likeliest place for his little genius crush.

He dashed forward, ignoring the questionable looks coming from the few Dalton students milling about campus. He half noticed it was mostly Fletcher students, but ignored it in favor of focusing on finding Logan. Every boy that didn't have dark hair, pale skin or chocolate brown eyes was incidental to him.

Until he found the one boy who held all those qualities walking down the front steps of the library.

"Logan!" The dark haired, pale skinned, chocolate eyed boy turned questioningly around and regarded Kendall, who came to a skidding stop in front of him.

"Kendall?" Logan asked, closing his phone and quickly hiding it in his pocket, slightly ashamed at how poor it made him look with its duck tape and lack of downloading cool options abilities..

"You...quit...Warblers...why?" Kendall asked in between breaths, his chest still burning from running across campus looking for him.

Blinking, Logan placed a hand on Kendall's shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Kendall looked over at Logan's touch, then smiled. Logan seemed to realize what he was doing, and quickly took his hand away before ducking his head to hide his blush.

"I'll feel a lot better if you tell me why you quit." Kendall said, mimicking Logan's actions so he could try and grab the brunettes eyes.

But the shy boy shook his head and said, "It's...it's just not going to work out. I'm sorry."

Though Logan began walking away, Kendall was quick to follow him, "But why? Is it James? I can talk to him...tell him to leave you alone?"

Logan shook his head again as he continued to walk back to his dorm, "No. It's not James. It's not...anyone. I-I just should really focus on my studies. I can't afford distractions. If I make even the slightest mistake I could loose my scholarship. I can't jeopardize that."

Kendall gave a small snort, "So what? If you loose it I'll just pay for your tuition."

Logan stopped short. In all honesty he wasn't sure if Kendall was joking or not. For some reason Logan had never associated Kendall as being rich, but then again Dalton was full of surprises.

"Okay...just...no." Logan said, shaking his head and continuing his path, "It's better this way." Logan looked up and realized they were now just coming up to the Burton Dorm. He sighed as he regarded his home and it's inhabitants.

"Well. That's it. If you quit...I'm quitting." Kendall said, and bumped into Logan's back when the boy stopped short again. Only this time Logan whirled back onto Kendall.

"Don't even think about it! That group needs you!" Logan pointed his finger and poked Kendall in the chest, barely able to ignore how feeling the muscles under Kendall's shirt made his skin sizzle with want, "And you can't abandon them for me-" But his words were cut off when Kendall reached up and grabbed Logan's hand.

Logan let out a small grunt and contemplated pulling away when Kendall spoke, "I was going to quit Warblers in the first place. The only reason I stayed was because of you."

The words were out, and they held a million possibilities in them. Logan opened his mouth a few times, unsure how to respond. But Kendall was looking at him, almost imploring with those green eyes something. Something that Logan wasn't sure he could give Kendall right now...or ever.

But whether he wanted to respond or not, the moment was broken when a all to familiar voice sneered out, "What have I told my Burton students about wasting time with Fletcher boys?"

Logan jerked his hand away when he peered over Kendall's shoulder and saw Hawk walking towards them. For a moment his heart seized with worry that Hawk saw them holding hands, but he realized the elder man couldn't have, since Kendall's body would have been in the way. He was relieved, but at the same time sad that they weren't touching any longer.

His eyes glanced back to Kendall, who looked almost heartbroken at Logan for a few moments. The blond took a deep breath and turned around "Coach Hawk! Pleasant surprise! I almost forgot you existed outside the rink."

Hawk snorted at the boy, "Yes Kendall. Believe it or not the world still goes on when you're not hogging the ice." He turned to Logan, "I had seriously hopped you had reconsidered what it meant to waste your time on," Hawk paused to slid his eyes over to Kendall with distance, "Lesser individuals."

Logan's mouth dropped open at Hawk's words, but Kendall's voice quickly retorted "Don't worry coach. As the _captain_ of your award winning team, this lesser individual wont let you down!" Kendall said, giving the man a salute as mocking as his words.

Hawk sneered at the boy before barking at Logan "House meeting in ten minutes!" Then he stomped inside the building.

Kendall watched him go, smirking the whole way, but when he turned back to Logan, he saw the boy had his arms wrapped around himself, and he was gently shaking, his eyes dark and lost.

"Logan?" Kendall asked, grabbing the boy by the shoulders, "Are you okay?"

The touch seemed to jerk Logan out of whatever mind state he was in, and he looked up at Kendall with wide eyes, "Huh? Oh yeah. I-I'm fine."

Kendall didn't believe a word, but in favor of keeping him out of more trouble with Hawk if he were late for the meeting, he let it go.

"Okay." Kendall said, then gave Logan a little squeeze, though he was reluctant to change the subject, "So...are you completely sure you want to quit the Warblers?"

Logan sighed and looked away as he began, "Kendall...I-"

"At least think about giving it another shot?" Kendall cut in, squeezing Logan's shoulders to emphasize his meaning and prove how serious he was.

Logan smiled and nodded, "Okay...I-I'll think about it."

Letting out a small cheer Kendall pulled Logan in close for a hug, which surprised Logan.

He lifted up his hands and gently patted Kendall's back, giving him a soft laugh, "I said I'd think about it."

Kendall pulled back reluctantly, smiling bright for Logan. "I know. But you'll come around." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at the boy, "You can't resist me."

Logan coughed and looked away, annoyed with himself for blushing at Kendall's words. He stammered a bit but Kendall laughed and cut him off.

"Okay. I'll let you get to your meeting. See you later?"

Nodding, Logan waved, to embarrassed to actually say anything. He watched Kendall walk away before taking a deep breath then turning back to his dorm.

"I am so not ready for this." He muttered before jogging inside, not sure if he meant the meeting...or whatever was blossoming between him and Kendall. Either way, he had to face one of those issues, and the meeting came first.

* * *

><p>Hawk watched from the window the interaction between Kendall and Logan. The brunettes back was to him, which was fine because all he cared about was Kendall and his reactions to this boy.<p>

So...Kendall had an interest in this student?

He smiled. Perfect.

He turned from the window and walked down the hallways to his office. When he opened the door he found Jett sitting on a chair across from his desk with the two boys who always hung around him leaning against the side wall.

"Where have you been?" Jett demanded, standing, "I've been waiting for like half an hour." He pulled up a black trash bag and dumped it on the desk before he continued, "It was Dak Zevon who did this and I want him expelled. I want him out of here now. I want-"

"I want you to sit down and shut the hell up." Hawk said as he walked over to his desk. He took the black bag and shoved it at Jett, "Get that trash of my desk. Now as for your demands, it wasn't Dak Zevon."

Jett, who was now red faced with anger and embarrassment, exclaimed, "What are you talking about? Of course it was-"

"No." Hawk said, sitting on his desk chair and leaning back, a smile growing on his features, "It wasn't Dak. It was Logan Mitchell who did this."

Now thoroughly confused, Jett turned to his cronies, Jeremy and Zach and then back to Hawk, "No. We looked into Mitchell but he was ruled out. Not only cause he's kinda a pussy but because our sources say he was no where's near the dorm most of the day."

Hawk held up a hand, stilling the boy, "No Jett..." He smiled and leaned forward, "It doesn't matter who actually did this. The culprit is _now_ Logan Mitchell."

* * *

><p>"Logan Mitchell!" Logan jumped when he entered the common room, turning to Dak who was walking over to him with a frown.<p>

"H-hey Dak what's up eep!" Logan barely got his sentence finished before Dak was dragging him over to a corner, away from the ears of their classmates who were milling about the room, waiting for the meeting to begin.

When they were aside Dak hissed, "Why didn't you tell me Jett was harassing you and Cam?"

Frowning, Logan began "What? How did you-?" But Dak cut him off.

"His cronies were teasing me about it." Dak sighed, "Logan this isn't like our schools before. You don't have to deal with this. _We_ don't have to deal with this."

But Logan knew better. No, it wasn't like their old schools...it was worse. Much worse.

Logan shook his head, "Don't worry Dak. I quit the Warblers. I'm just going to keep my head down and stay out of everybody's way." He felt bad for not totally keeping Kendall's promise, but he always knew he wouldn't be able to. Not when Burton was in control of his future. He loved the Warblers, but he needed to put his future first.

Daks mouth dropped open in surprise before his eyes flared with anger, "Logan! You can't let these guys bully you into doing what they want."

But whatever retort Logan was about to give was interrupted by Hawk walking into the common room. The room fell to a hush and Dak whispered to Logan, "This isn't over." Before they walked over to the rest of the groups.

Hawk surveyed his crowd for a moment, then stopped when his eyes fell onto Logan. The barest hint of a smile tugged at his lips, but instead he opened his mouth and spoke with his loud, demanding and unquestionable booming voice, "Burton's, I have unfortunate news for you." He clasped his hands behind his back as he started to pace in front of them, "One of your classmates has been viciously attacked, and I am disheartened to find evidence that it might be one of you." He turned to Jett and nodded.

The blond stepped in front of the group, holding a large black trash bag. He tore open the bag and overturned it on the floor, dumping out it's contents. The group of students closest all jumped up and back away when they saw what was inside.

Now on the Burton common room floor was a mess of yellow and gray feathers covered in white droppings. The smell hit the students suddenly, and many moaned and held their hands over their faces.

"This is the result of an attempt to damage the belongings and mental state of a fellow Burton. I cannot abide by this, not at all. Though the feel and look of this crime resembles that of a Fletcher student, evidence other-wise leads me to believe a Burton did this."

It took a moment, but suddenly Logan felt his stomach clench in recognition when he saw the feathers on the floor. His mind immediately went to last night. To Kendall's room...

_Logan suddenly laughed uncomfortably and stepped back, looking down at the light object in his hand, "It's a feather." Logan whispered, then looked back up at Kendall. _

Kendall. The feathers now on the floor looked the same as the one he found in Kendall's hair. And the bag that James gave him...what did that have inside it? And...if Kendall was the culprit, then what kind of evidence did Hawk have to make him think it was someone here?

"Cancel any and all plans for the rest of this evening. I will interview each of you one by one to get all the details, but rest assured the culprit will be found, tonight." He paused, his voice growing grave, "And will indeed be punished."

* * *

><p>Logan stood outside Haw's office door, once again resisting the urge to run away rather than knock. He repeated his actions from last night where he spun around in circles and shook his arms, but he couldn't waste any more time. It was his turn to be interviewed, and he couldn't get out of this.<p>

With a sigh he lifted his hand and knocked. Similarly, before the third polite knock could end the door swung open, and he was greeted by one of Jett's cronies, Jeremy. The other one, Zach was in the room, as well as Jett and Hawk.

"Please, Logan, come in." Hawk's voice trailed out the door, but Logan was staring up at the boy in front of him. He was wearing the most cruelest smile, and it made Logan tremble inside.

The boy finally stepped away and Logan tentatively entered. He walked slowly towards the desk and took a seat across from Hawk in the chair Jett pushed him none to gently into.

"So...Logan..." Hawk began, "I'm sure you are as shocked by what happened as I was."

Logan nodded, but couldn't speak. His voice was dried up with fear.

Leaning back in his chair, Hawk continued, "Unfortunately...most of what has been going on has been a ruse." He smiled, "These interviews are really just a formality. You know as well as I do that you are aware of the perpetrator as much as we are."

Logan blinked. What was going on?

"Um..." Logan began, but didn't offer anything. He wasn't sure what Hawk was trying to do, and so he decided acting dumb was the best way to go. It helped him sometimes in the past.

"I think we both know who did this...don't we Logan?" Hawk said.

Logan fidgeted. He could rat out Kendall...it would earn him a lot of points with Burton. Get back on their good side...if he ever was there. But he couldn't. No. He wouldn't do that to Kendall, not after everything the boy had done for him.

"No..." Logan answered just as Hawk said, "Dak Zevon."

Jerking back in surprise, Logan exclaimed, "What? Dak? There's no way he would do this-"

But Hawk cut him off, "I'm afraid so. Dak has the motive, the means-"

"No." Logan exclaimed, "No. Dak wouldn't risk his scholarship. He wouldn't do this-"

Hawk stood, holding up a hand to silence the boy, "I thought so to Logan. And I know both you and I are agreed that if this were to get out, the repercussions for Dak would be very serious."

With his lips held tightly, Logan nodded. Hawk stood and walked over to the other side of his desk, holding his hand up against his chin as if in thought. As he leaned up against his desk next to Logan, his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had an idea.

"Now Logan. You and I both don't want to see anything bad happen to Dak, correct?"

Feeling nervous by his tone, Logan only nodded.

"And if it were to get out that Dak did this...I would have to kick him off the team as punishment for his actions, which would lead him to loose his scholarship."

"But he didn't-" Logan exclaimed, yet was cut off again when Hawk lifted his hand.

"However...if someone else were to say that they did it, then the heat would be taken off Dak, wouldn't you agree?"

It took a moment, only a moment, but the weight and reality of Hawks words quickly settled, and Logan suddenly knew what Hawk was trying to say. He looked down at his hands, the option placed in front of him suddenly clear. He couldn't rat out Kendall, and he couldn't let this fall on Dak.

Quietly, just above a whisper, Logan answered, "Would I loose my scholarship?"

With his head bowed, Logan couldn't see the triumphant smile cross the elder mans lips, "No. I would have to punish you in some way, of course, for the students here as an example. But your scholarship lies in the hands of professor Bob. And he is to soft hearted to take that away from you." Hawk pushed himself off the desk, clasping a large heavy hand on Logan's shoulder.

"Why me though?" Logan asked the man.

Surprised at the question, Hawk took his hand away and said, "Because I know you care about Dak. No one else here would take the hit. You're a good friend Logan." Hawk nodded before he continued, " I'm sure you already know that this does not go beyond this room. It's a secret between you and I. Got it?"

Logan looked back at Jett and the two boys. When Hawk followed his path, he smiled, "Oh. You don't have to worry about them. They're good soldiers. They know what to do." He smiled, knowing there was nothing those three could say to claim otherwise, "All right. You're free to go."

Nodding, Logan stood and walked out of the room, purposely avoiding eye contact with the other boys.

When the door shut behind him, Hawk couldn't suppress another triumphant smile. He turned to the boys, the cronies bored and looking at their phones. And Jett, who was staring at the man with his arms crossed.

"What's the matter Jett? I thought you would be happy that we got to mess with the little Warbler?" Hawk said with a sneer, sitting back down at his desk then propping his feet up.

Jet pushed off the wall and walked over to the desk, "Logan's right though, now that I think about it. Dak wouldn't have risked his scholarship for this-" But Hawk lifted his hand to silence the boy just as he did with Logan earlier.

"Jett. Relax. It doesn't matter. It was a stupid school prank." He looked away from Jett, not seeing the blond tighten his lips and his eyes grow dark with anger. Instead, Hawk let his eyes settle on the rooms back window that looked out into the forest surrounding the school, "Right now we have to focus on Logan's punishment." His smile returned, but this time with a tint of something sinister, "And I know just what to do."

* * *

><p>That night, Logan tossed and turned in bed, sleep coming and going. This day had been horrible, and images of it constantly filtered into his dreams. The rejection of the Warblers, Dak almost getting expelled, the deal he made with Hawk. It all bounced and tumbled around in his head, and the promise of a punishment weighed heavily on him. He was no stranger to punishments, but somehow he worried that this one would be different than what he was normally used to.<p>

Just as he was falling back into his dark dreams again, a loud thump echoed in his room. He opened his eyes and whispered quietly, "Cam?" Hoping she was just getting up to go to the bathroom.

Suddenly he felt himself get grabbed from behind and dragged off the bed. Before he had time to even shout, something long and sticky was placed over his mouth. His eyes widened in fear and he tried to bring his hands up to tear it off, but they were pinned hard against his back by rough hands, then soon tied with strong rope. In the dim light of the room, something was placed over his head and the world went completely black.

He felt himself get lifted up by two sets of hands. He struggled to get free, but the hands held him firmly, and he powerless to stop them. Fear and panic welled up inside him as he felt the hands carry him. He screamed and kicked, but there was little else he could do.

He soon felt the cool air of the upcoming October month caress his skin, and he knew he was outside. He breathed deeply through his nose, but it proved difficult with what was covering his head. Desperately, Logan tried to scream again through his gag, but if anyone heard it, they didn't listen...or care.

After what felt like forever, Logan was suddenly dropped onto the ground. He moaned when his back hit the dirt, already the earth hard from the late night frosts. But it wasn't long before he was lifted again, this time to a standing position. His arms were freed, but before he could even try to escape, he was pushed backwards and Logan felt his back connect to something hard and cold. He tried to struggle again, and felt the rough texture scratch against his back. But again the hands were to strong. He felt a heavy weight fall onto his chest and lower abdomen and soon realized he was being tied to the hard structure behind him.

Just as he was sure he would pass out from fear and lack of oxygen, he was suddenly hit with a giant wave of icy cold water. It was like a punch to his chest and he gasped for air when the wind was knocked out of him. The cold water seeped into his skin, and when the wind blew, it was like getting hit with a fist of ice.

Suddenly the darkness was lifted, and Logan raised his trembling wet head to see who his captors were.

He blinked in surprise...and immediately chided himself for being so.

"I told you that I would have to punish you." Hawk sneered, walking away from Logan with the pillowcase in his hand that once covered the kidnapped boy. The elder man strode towards the group of Burton students who were standing in front of Logan. All of them were in their pajamas or sweats and long shirts, and none made a move to help him. They watched as he shivered in the cold. Some were talking to each other, but all watched with some form of amusement or indifference.

Logan looked around him and saw that he was tied to a large tree in the woods surrounding the campus. He had no clue as to how far in he was, but it wasn't close, since the darkness stretched out before him with no hint as to where any light from the school could be. Even if he were to somehow get free, he had no idea what direction would lead him to safety.

The wind blew hard against Logan's wet skin, and he began to shake with fear and shiver from the cold. Breathing deeply through his nose to calm himself, he pleaded with his eyes to his peers, but knew already that it was useless.

Logan glared at the man and tried to scream something at him through his gag, but he was only greeted with another wave of ice water that came from his right side. He turned to the source and saw that it was Jeremy, wearing that smile he held from earlier that evening. He glared evilly at Logan, the fact that he was enjoying torturing to bound boy evident. Logan tried desperately to free himself from the tree, but it was useless.

"Student's. Before you stands a traitor amongst our own. The only way we can welcome him back into the fold is for him to suffer the consequences of his actions, repent his devious ways, and be fully humbled. I want you all to know that taking negative actions against your brothers in Burton will have serious consequences, and it is unfortunate that Logan is the first to suffer them." Hawk turned back to Logan, "I think some quiet time in the woods will help you think about what you've done."

Logan glared at Hawk before turning to the crowd. He didn't see Cam or Dak...but he did see Jett. Pale and alone amongst a sea of his peers. Logan glared at him the most, his eyes daggers of hatred against the boy. He knew that technically he should be mad at Kendall, since it was the blond who pulled the prank he was now paying for. But Logan knew that Kendall only took action against Jett because the boy was so awful to everyone, and must have done something to anger Kendall and make him take do what he did.

Jett only stared back at Logan, his eyes hiding what went on in his mind. And even when the rest of the students began walking back towards the dorm, Jett stayed...but not for long. Hawk walked up to Jett, placing a hand on his shoulder. He whispered something to Jett, and Logan watched the blond tense then nod. As Hawk began walking away, Jett turned to walk with him, but there was reluctance in his steps.

Then, for a moment, Jett looked back at Logan. And Logan could swear, almost believe, that for half a second, Jett looked...

Worried.

But that moment passed, and he turned to walk away with Hawk.

Leaving Logan, quaking in the cold night air from the water dripping from his body as he was tied to a tree. The darkness swallowed him whole as the last of the light from the two men faded with them, and with that light, any hope to be freed from this situation.

Now...he was alone...

* * *

><p><strong>Big changes are coming up for these boys. Let's see what happens! Please review!<strong>

**xoxo BA **


	10. Chapter 10

Carlos sighed in the dark, eyes already adjusted to the soft moonlight filtering into James's room. He most often slept in James's bed, loving it's large frame that gave them space to breathe...amongst other more intimate things.

But when it came time for sleep they became one entity, James with his long arms wrapped lovingly around Carlos, pressing the boys back to his strong chest even in his sleep. His soft breath caressed Carlos's neck, and it often made the other smile when James's nose brushed up against the back of his head, sleepily and subconsciously placing soft kisses there without even realizing it.

The little Latino loved it, and slept better in his love's embrace than any night in his own home back in Mexico. Carlos was fully aware that the only difference was James, and it made each moment they spent together that much more beautiful.

But...tonight...Carlos laid awake. James's arms and sweet touches doing little to comfort his troubled thoughts. His memories of this past day plagued him, and fear of the fall out made him worry for the morning's arrival.

Carlos had seen James angry. Besides a constant annoyance at the world in general (sans his little Latino of course) anger was the next best emotion James carried across his handsome features. Carlos knew where that anger stemmed from, even understood it, and didn't try to change it. But today, James's anger at his fellow Warblers was fiercer than any other time before. Carlos even had to shudder a little as he remembered just how far James's anger went.

Three Warblers were cut. His tall love had held to his promise, and after the first two were thoroughly and permanently excused from the practice room, the truth came tumbling out.

Burton. Carlos closed his eyes. Of _course_ it was Burton. An old fear crept unexpectedly into his stomach, and on instinct he burrowed closer to James, who wrapped his arms tighter around the boy, shifting and mumbling quietly before his breath evened out again.

While he was just as aware of the rivalry between the two houses as every other student on campus, Carlos was surprised as to how far they would go. Bribes? Blackmail? All to get one of their own off a club that had nothing to do with them?

He opened his eyes, adjusting instantly to the dark shadows that hung silently across the room. It didn't make any sense. This was more than just some silly prank...some way of showing dominance. They wanted Logan hurt...or someone did. Carlos knew better than to assume Logan had done something in his short amount of time at this school to upset his entire dorm. No. This mess had to have come from the orders of someone else.

And Carlos had a sneaking suspicion as to who it was.

Suddenly a low vibration echoed in the room, causing Carlos to jerk back in surprise. James mumbled and shifted again, but Carlos knew he wouldn't awake. Now that hockey had started, James would be dead to the world once he slept, his exhaustion quickly overtaking him as soon as night came though.

Carlos slowly slid out of James's embrace to grab his phone on the nightstand, blinking in the dark when he realized he had a text.

"Whose texting me a three in the morning?" He mumbled curiously, opening his phone.

It was a number he didn't recognize, but the message was like a shot in the gut.

_Meet me at the Linden tree._

Carlos's entire body froze, tense with fear, nerves...and anticipation. He knew..._knew_ he should just put the phone away, crawl back into James's embrace and ignore the world until the sun came up.

But instead he slowly slid off the bed, keeping an eye on James as he threw on a sweatshirt and some sneakers, before quietly walking out the front door.

* * *

><p>"I am such an idiot." Carlos muttered as he walked through the dark woods. Luckily he had thought to bring a flashlight...but didn't check the batteries. Now it was dead, and about as useless to him as a rock in his hand at the moment.<p>

But then he heard some rustling in the bushes beside him and then realized he wished he had a heavy rock to throw at whatever monster was about to tackle him.

No. He shook his head. No monsters. "Get a grip Garcia." He muttered again, knowing the worst part of being in this kind of situation was to let his imagination get away from him. Instead he took a deep breath and steadied his nerves, allowing his senses to guide him.

It was good luck that the moon was full, allowing him some light as he tripped and stumbled his way along the path that led into the woods surrounding Dalton. Though he was familiar with these woods, it still did little to make him feel safe as he was alone here in the dark.

"James is totally going to kill me." Carlos shuddered at the thought of James realizing he had been traipsing about the woods at night by himself. He knew the boy was fiercely protective of him, and felt guilty for being here. "I should have just woken him up." He whispered to nobody. "He would have come with me." But it wasn't true. It was why he left James there. If he told him who it was they were going to meet, Carlos would have never been allowed to leave the bed.

Finally he came to the spot he had been instructed to go to. It wasn't a real Linden tree, but it was large and beautiful Oak. A towering giant amongst it's smaller subjects. It was the kind of tree one would imagine belonged in a fairy tale, and in the spring it's leaves were greener than all the other trees around it, and it's bark smooth and dark. But tonight, in the early October air, the branches were dark jagged arms reaching out into the night.

Pulling out his phone, he checked once more the time and to see if he had any messages. It was almost three thirty...but nothing new.

Sighing he looked around, but was alone. Taking a deep breath he called out, "If this is some kind of prank I swear to God I will kill-"

"Chill dude."

"Ah!" Carlos yelled as he jumped, turning around to regard the newcomer as he grasped his chest. His heart was beating against his ribs, and he swore it was ready to burst.

"You scared the crap out of me." Carlos said, walking over to the boy and punching him hard on the shoulder.

"Well you shouldn't have taken so long to get here." The other replied.

"Screw you Jett." Carlos said, crossing his arms angrily, "I don't even know why I came here in the first place."

Jett scowled at Carlos, his blue eyes dark pits in the moonlight. "You know why." He said, and Carlos gritted his teeth and turned away.

"Fine. I'm here." He shot his eyes back at Jett, blazing with fierce fury as he continued, "What do you want?"

Carlos was surprised when Jett reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the tree, "We have to hurry. It's been too long as it is." He started dragging Carlos off the path, leading him deeper into the woods than Carlos ever had before.

"What are you talking about?" Carlos shot back, trying to jerk his hand away, but Jett held tight.

"You'll see. I need your help." Jett called back as they continued to run through the woods. Eventually they came to a spot Carlos didn't recognize, and Jett whispered, "And he needs your help to." Carlos looked around, seeing no one. Just more trees.

"Who?" Carlos asked, turning to Jett with a frown. He heard his phone beeping and took it out, just in time to watch it die. He sighed in frustration before he shoved it back into his pocket.

Jett let go of Carlos's hand and reached into his jacket to pull out a small hunting knife. Fear shot into Carlos's throat, but Jett walked away from him, heading over to a large tree. He turned to Carlos and repeated, "C'mon. We have to hurry." Then disappeared to the other side of the large tree.

Tentatively Carlos stepped closer, the moonlight finally showing that there was rope around the tree. Furrowing his eyebrows, Carlos eventually stepped around to where Jett was, and let out a strangled gasp at what he saw.

Furiously Jett was cutting through the thick ropes that held a pale form taunt against the trees large trunk. It took Carlos a moment to make out the features of belonging to the unconscious person, but when he did his entire body froze with realization.

No.

"Carlos come on!" Jett growled, working hard to cut the ropes. He spared a glance at the boy, and watched as he slowly walked up to the tree, caressing the face belonging to the boy he saw earlier that day.

"Logan." Carlos whispered, horror in his voice. The boy was unconscious, his head hanging low and his body as pale as the moon. When Carlos tried to shake Logan a bit, he saw that his friends lips were already turning blue, and his skin the same temperature as ice.

"Carlos." Jett said, trying to snap the other out of their trance. When Carlos turned to him, his face no longer bore shocked fear, but instead sheer fury was evident in every feature.

"What...did...you..._do_?" Carlos screamed before lunging himself at Jett, knocking the blond to the ground.

Unsuspecting this, Jett barely registered what had just happened before pain erupted across his jaw.

Carlos reared his fist back, ready to strike the fallen boy again as he straddled him, keeping him pinned.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Carlos screamed, his voice echoing in the dark forest. Just as he went to strike again, Jett grabbed his arm and expertly rolled them over so that now Carlos was pinned to the ground with Jett breathing heavily on top of him.

Carlos struggled and growled, trying to at least claw at the boys face, but stilled when Jett placed a free hand over Carlos's mouth, harshly whispering, "I know. I _know_. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

Hot tears for his friend were leaking out of Carlos's eyes as he regarded Jett, but he made no move to speak.

"I need your help. Please. We have to help him. He's been out here to long. I tried to get back here sooner...but this was the best that I could do." Slowly, Jett let go of Carlos, "Please."

Carlos scrambled to stand, watching as Jett grabbed his knife that had fallen in the scuffle and go back to work on the ropes.

"What happened?" Carlos demanded, walking over to stand beside Jett, who didn't answer. When the ropes were finally cut Jett shoved the knife into the belt of his jeans before slowly pulling Logan down from the tree. Carlos put his arms around the boy, lowering him to the ground before pulling off his own jacket and wrapping it around him. It would do little to help him, but Carlos had to try something.

"Logan." Carlos yelled, trying to get the boy to wake up. He looked up at Jett helplessly, watching as he gathered up the rope and then tossed it aside in the woods before walking over to the two.

Jett slid off his own jacket and wrapped it around Logan before lifting him up in his arms. Carlos had a stifle a sob as he watched Logan's head roll onto Jett's shoulder, but he still made no movement on his own.

"Is...is he...?" Carlos began, but was unable to finish his sentence, fearing the answer.

Jett shook his head, "No." But he didn't say how close Logan might have been. The night had grown dangerously cold, and the fact that they had left Logan soaking wet did nothing to help the boy.

"Let's go." Jett said, and began walking back towards the dorms.

"We have to take him to the hospital" Carlos said from besides Jett, "They can help him. We have to get him there now-"

"No." Jett said, not looking at Carlos as he walked back onto the path. He shifted Logan in his arms, his dead weight heavy.

Carlos froze in his tracks. "No? What do you mean no? Jett...he-he's practically-" Carlos couldn't continue, the words stuck in his throat.

But he didn't need to finish. Jett picked up from his cut off, "Logan's a scholarship student. If admin finds out about this there will be a whole investigation. Chances are Hawk will just make his life that much more miserable, and try to get him kicked out of the school."

_Hawk_. Carlos clenched his fists. He knew it."But-"

"And nothing will happen to help Logan. Because Griffin will care more about having a hockey coach that brings home the gold than what one kid has to suffer through." Jett shook his head, "No. He'll be fine once you get him into some dry clothes and warm him up. But you'll have to keep an eye on him. There's a chance he might get an pneumonia-"

But he didn't get the chance to finish because Carlos stepped in front of him, that anger back in his eyes.

_Spending to much time with James,_ Jett mused. But said nothing out loud.

"You're telling me that Hawk's going to get away with this?" Carlos seethed, his voice dangerous.

Jett was silent for a moment, staring back at Carlos. He didn't want to go where he needed to go, but they were running out of time, and he knew he needed to convince Carlos to keep his mouth shut about this. Taking a deep breath, Jett breathed out, "He got away with what he did to you. Trust me...he'll get away with this."

Carlos's entire body froze at Jett's words. It killed the blond to say them, but he needed Carlos to remember what happens when someone goes after Hawk...and how bad it gets.

Pressing his lips together tight, Carlos glanced down at Logan before looking back up at Jett. Jett had to look away, because those damn brown eyes were dragging him down to places he had fought so hard to free himself from.

Only when he heard the gravel moving beneath Carlos's feet again did he chance to look up, watching Carlos walking away from them.

With a sigh he followed.

They got back to Fletcher twenty minutes later., making sure to take the long way around to avoid Burton. Carlos looked up at the dorm, then stopped short, a tremble in his breath as he said, "Shit. James's light is on." He turned back to Jett, "He'll know I'm gone by now."

Nodding, Jett shifted Logan and gestured for Carlos to walk through the front door. Tentatively Carlos opened the large doors that allowed entry into the old building. Calos turned back to Jett as the taller handed Logan to him.

Silence surrounded them, but Carlos could see the soft light coming from the third floor making it's way down the long staircase. Emotionally and physically exhausted, he sunk slowly to the cold marble floor, idly noticing that Logan's skin was much colder, and wrapped his arms around Logan. He sat there, looking up at Jett. His body began to shiver, from Logan's cold body pressed against his, and from staring at the boy who watched them with guarded eyes.

Carefully Jett grabbed his jacket, whispering, "If they're up just call out to them. Someone will come. Or just get help." He crouched down low, "Please. You know what'll happen if you get admin involved." He paused before he continued, "Get Logan out of Burton. Make him transfer here. He'll be safe here with you guys watching over him."

Carlos nodded, squeezing his eyes tight as the tears filled up behind the closed lids. When he heard Jett standing Carlos opened his eyes, looking back up at the boy. Just as Jett began to turn away, Carlos reached out, grabbing Jett's hand.

The blond turned back to Carlos, confusion in his eyes until Carlos spoke, "Why? Why did you come back for him? You didn't need to. You don't even like him."

Jett turned and stepped back to Carlos, then leaned forward to run a cold hand through the dark locks. He leaned forward, and placed a kiss upon the crown of Carlos's head. Pulling back only an inch, Jett whispered, "I wasn't there for you when you needed me. The least I could do is try to be there for someone who did."

Carlos didn't look up. Instead he watched Jett's shadow across the floor as it turned, and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>"And the winner for best actor is...Kurt Hummel for his portrayal of Titus in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus!"<p>

Kurt's hands flew to his face in glee, shock written on each feature. All around him in the large golden auditorium celebrities old and new stood and applauded this news, their clapping and cheering loud and unending.

Turning to his right Blaine sat beside him, smiling bright before he pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Go!" Blaine exclaimed, pushing his boyfriend out of his seat so he could begin the long walk down the aisle.

Everyone he passed were eager to shake his head or clap him on the back, shouting out words of encouragement. George Clooney held his hand up to his ear, mouthing "Call me!" Robert Downy Jr. winked at him.

His breath was gone by the time he jogged up the stage, hands eagerly outstretched to grasp the small golden statue behind held by Julia Roberts, with a smiling Queen Latifa to her right.

As the two woman stepped back, Kurt proudly walked up the podium, his smile bright as he looked over the sea of faces, waiting for his words.

Clearing his throat, Kurt began, "First I'd like to thank my father, for all his support." He held out a hand towards the audience, "To my husband, Blaine. I love you so much." A few cheers erupted as Kurt continued, "To Rachel Berry-in your face!" He yelled, causing some more cheering, "I'd like to thank the rest of the cast and crew, for all your hard wor-"

But his words were cut off as he heard his name being called. It was hard for him to tell who was the source, so he held up his hand to shield his eyes from the fierce light.

"I-uh-I-" Kurt tried to continue, but the yelling only got louder.

"Kurt! Kurt wake up!"

"I-I'd like...I'd like to thank-"

"Kurt wake up...NOW!"

Everything went black for a moment before Kurt felt his world...and then himself...tumbling away. He landed with a hard thud, and groaned not only from the pain in his shoulder, but from the realization that the best moment in his life was actually a dream.

"I'd like to thank the academy-" He mumbled, trying to get back into his dream, but he felt someone grab his shirt and lift him a few feet off the ground from where he landed when he fell off the bed.

"Get out of your acceptance speech dream and wake up." A voice growled beside him. Kurt groaned, but already knew who it was without opening his eyes.

"Jeeze James." Kurt mumbled, jerking his shoulder out of the boys grasp as he slowly stood, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, "Where's the fire?"

"Worse. Carlos is gone." Came a new voice. Kurt yawned as he finally opened his eyes, watching as a just as sleepy Kendall and then Blaine came stumbling into his room.

"Gone?" Kurt asked, looking over at James who was walking in circles and running his hands through his hair. "Did you try calling him?" Kurt suggested, then shrugged when James gave him glare.

"Of _course_ I did Hummel. Did you hear him leave? Did you see anything?" James shot at the boy, walking over to him and getting into his face as he threw out desperate questions.

Holding up his hands in defense, Kurt shook his head, "Nope. Sorry. Afraid I'm a heavy sleeper. Got way too used to Finn's snores of thunder."

Yawning Kendall said, "I'm sure he's around somewhere. This is Carlos. He rarely stays more than ten feet away from you if he can help it."

"What if he couldn't? What if something horrible happened? What if-?" James ranted, but Blaine walked over and grabbed his friends shoulders.

"James. Stop. I'm sure Carlos is fine. If something was wrong he would have woken you up." Blaine implored with his friend to listen, but James could only shake his head.

"No. Something's not right. I know it. Something isn't-" His words were cut off again, but this time it wasn't by anyone in the room.

Instead, faintly, all three could hear a voice calling from the distance.

And that voice was calling for James.

* * *

><p>Carlos yelled once again, desperately hoping his friends could hear him. It was the third time he had called for his boyfriend, but he was beginning to worry that he would have to leave Logan to get them. He knew he would never be able to bring Logan upstairs by himself, and needed everyone's help.<p>

Suddenly he heard his name being called out. Gasping in surprise, Carlos called out once again, "James! Down here! On the first floor!"

The sounds of multiple footsteps racing down the stairs told Carlos that the others had heard him. He looked down and ran a hand gently along Logan's face. He was still too cold, but Carlos could see Logan's eyes moving behind his lids, as well as his chest slowly rising and falling. He wasn't gone. Not yet. "Hold on buddy."

"Carlos!" James yelled when he came to the landing, looking down onto the first floor and seeing his boyfriend on the floor, his arms wrapped around...something.

"Are you alright?" Kurt called out, following behind James with Blaine behind him, and Kendall casually trailing behind the others.

The tall blond hadn't been to worried when James busted into his room, demanding to know where his Latino lover had gone off to. Carlos was impetuous at times, and Kendall had no doubt the boy would show up. Now proven correct, he was more curious than worried as to the reason Carlos had gone on this midnight stroll.

But his curiosity turned to nerves when he watched James skid to a stop in front of Carlos, then let out a strangled, "Oh my God." Followed by a Kurt and Blaine also letting out small gasps of shock and surprise as they all fell around the strange bundle in the boys arms..

"Please." Carlos said to his friends as Kendall finished walking down the steps, "We have to get him upstairs. I don't know how long he's been like this-" But Carlos's words died when his eyes fell onto Kendall, now standing above him.

"Kendall-" Carlos began, watching his friend as he walked over. "Kendall I know. But we have to take care of him now-"

"Logan?" Kendall whispered as emotion boiled up inside him. "Oh my God Logan." Kendall whispered harshly as he fell to the floor. His hands instantly went to the boys face, feeling the cold seep into his skin. The blue lips, the frosted hair, the skin so pale he could see the veins pumping blue blood through the body. Shock and tears bubbled up inside him, and he turned hard eyes to Carlos, "What happened?" He didn't even bother to try to keep the harshness out of his voice.

"Later." Blaine said, pushing Carlos aside to help hoist Logan up. Kendall let out a possessive growl and nearly swore at the boy, but Blaine anticipated this, instead barking out orders, "Kurt go get some extra blankets. Meet me in Kendall's room." He turned to James, "Take Carlos upstairs and get some clothes. Winter ones." When the others began running upstairs, Blaine turned to Kendall, "Help me carry him upstairs."

Kendall nearly tore Logan out of Blaine's arms, "I can do it-"

"We'll both do it." Blaine shot back, but Kendall cradled Logan close to his chest, standing as he lifted the boy in his arms. His face was a mask of fury, pale and tight. Blaine could see the boys muscles tremble as he grasped onto the boy, and knew to let this one go.

"Fine." Blaine huffed, stepping back to let Kendall walk upstairs. The prefect frowned at the sorrow that laced his friends eyes, but said nothing, knowing there was nothing to be said.

As he went to turn and follow Kendall upstairs, he saw some movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked out the window at the large quad separating the two dorms, and could have sworn he saw a figure stepping out from behind a tree. He stood for a moment, motionless, but when he saw nothing else, he sighed and walked away.

* * *

><p>Jett sighed in relief. He knew he should have just kept walking back to his dorm, but he couldn't do it. Instead he waited by the tree, watching through the window to make sure the others found Carlos and Logan.<p>

He watched as they converged, then quickly split up. It was a hollow victory to see the misery in Kendall's eyes, but he pushed that thought away.

He was surprised when Blaine looked out the window, so he quickly tried to melt into the shadows of the tree, hiding from the boy. For a moment Jett worried that the meddlesome prefect would come outside to investigate, but luckily he followed his friends back up stairs.

Pulling his jacket tight against him, Jett turned and jogged back to his dorm. There were no lights in any of the windows, which he knew granted him a better chance of sneaking back inside without being caught by anyone.

He slipped in through the back door that he had snuck out of, and quietly walked a few steps into the dark room, intent on going back up to his bed and trying to pretend this night never happened.

Barely had he gotten a few feet when a sudden weight pushed him heavily against the wall, his face hitting it first. For a moment he struggled, but the weight against him was strong and unyielding.

"Taking a midnight stroll huh Stetson?" The voice sneered, causing shivers to rack up the boys back.

"Hawk." Jett grunted, then moaned in pain when the man pushed Jett even further into the wall.

"I'll bet a pile a'dead Warblers that you went to rescue that pathetic excuse of existence...didn't you?"Hawk sneered, his voice close to Jett's ear. When the boy remained silent, Hawk pulled Jett back and pushed him hard against the wall again, snarling, "Didn't you?"

Jett continued his silence, but Hawk just laughed before letting him go. He already knew the answer. When they all got back to the dorm earlier that night after leaving Logan alone in the forest, he had purposely kept an eye on Jett for hours. He didn't want to believe the boy would betray him, but he had been wrong, and Jett had snuck out when he wasn't paying attention.

"I wont forget this Jett." The man said, then walked away, leaving Jett with his hand to his throat, fear in his eyes.

It took a couple minutes for Jett to calm his breathing. He was shivering...and it wasn't from the cold. After swallowing a few times, he eventually began making his way down the hallway, towards the stairs and up to his room.

He never saw the dark figure step out from the kitchenette near the stairs, a frown on his face and worry in his eyes.

* * *

><p>Kendall paced back and forth outside his bedroom as Kurt and Blaine had taken Logan to help get him into some warm clothing. Kendall was immediately shooed out.<p>

"You're crushing on Logan. It wouldn't be right for you to see him naked." Kurt explained before slamming the door in his face. Kendall would have broken the door down if they weren't right, but they were. It wouldn't be right for him to be in there, but his worries were tearing at his heart.

Questions about Logan's condition plagued his mind. How did this happen? _Why_ did it happen?

Voices trailing out of James's bedroom caught Kendall's attention, and he decided while he waited to find answers to those questions.

He strode over to the door, opening it to find Carlos sitting on the bed with James standing beside him. Both looked up when he entered, and Kendall could feel the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Carlos was just about to tell us what happened." James said, his arms crossed as he turned back to his boyfriend. A part of him was furious that Carlos was hiding this. He trusted the boy with everything, and it tore at him to think that Carlos didn't do the same with him.

The smaller boy looked exhausted, his eyes staring at the bed. Kendall almost felt bad for wanting to push the boy to talk, but his worry for Carlos paled in comparison to the boy fighting for his life in his bedroom. He stood beside James, pleading, "Please Carlos. What happened?"

Looking up at the two with tears in his eyes, Carlos said, "I-I don't know. I don't know why this happened."

"Do you know who did this to him?" James asked, desperately wanting to comfort his love, but he remained where he was.

Nodding as the tears fell, Carlos croaked out, "It-it was Hawk."

"Hawk?" Kendall shot back, "But why? Why would he do this to Logan? He's never done anything to him."

Shaking his head, Carlos said, "I don't know. Jett said-" But James cut him off.

"Jett? What does Jett have to do with this?"

Pleading with his love to understand, Carlos stuttered out, "H-he's the o-one who s-showed me where Logan was."

Jealousy surged through James's chest as he exclaimed, "So Jett just texted you to meet in the middle of the night in the woods. And you just _went_?"

"You wouldn't have let me go if I told you." Carlos shot back.

"Why would you _want_ to go in the first place?" James answered, turning away from Carlos to run his hands through his hair. He felt like his whole world was falling apart.

"James-" Carlos began as he slid off the bed, but the taller boy turned back to him, fire in his eyes that was mixed with tears.

"Please. _Please_ tell me you aren't...you and Jett...you're not-"

"No!" Carlos yelled, throwing himself into James's chest. He wrapped his arms tight around the boy, wondering how this night had gotten so terrible. "No. I'm not cheating on you. I would never do that."

Carlos looked up into James's eyes, pleading with him to believe him. "You're my everything James."

"Then why did you go?" James asked, tentatively placing his hands around Carlos. He wanted to hold onto his anger, but he knew he could never stay angry at the boy for long. Instead he was scared. So damn scared that he was about to loose the one thing he loved more than anything else in the world. He already knew he wouldn't be able to live a day without Carlos loving him, and was so afraid that Carlos was about to walk away from their everything for a man he hated.

"Because I know Jett. He wouldn't have had any reason to text me to meet unless it was important." Carlos answered, "I'm sorry okay? I-I shouldn't have just taken off like that. I'm sorry that I scared you and that I didn't tell you." He took a deep breath before he continued, "But I'm not sorry I went." He grasped onto James's shirt, "Because we need to get Logan out of Burton."

"That's where everything doesn't make sense. Why? I know that what happened with the Warblers was because of Burton, but that's no reason to do to Logan what they did." Kendall clenched his hands tight, fury pushing against his chest to be released. His friends had told him the true reason as to why Logan had quit the Warblers, and Kendall wished that Logan trusted him enough to tell him the truth himself. But it still didn't answer any questions.

"Something must have happened to make Hawk angry." James said, searching his loves eyes for any untruths. Carlos clutched onto him as if he were about to disappear any moment. As much as James worried about Logan, his number one concern was Carlos. He trusted his love, but the lingering feelings from waking and finding Carlos gone, to hearing that he left to meet Jett in the woods twisted him inside.

"But what's so different about today as opposed to any other day?" Carlos asked, turning to Kendall. Suddenly he felt his love tense, and looked back at James. But James was looking at Kendall, his face pale with realization.

Carlos turned back to Kendall, who was now sharing James's look for complete shock.

"What?" Carlos asked.

Swallowing thickly, Kendall said with a hoarse whisper, "James. Y-you...you don't think-"

"There's no way to be certain." James said, but his voice wasn't so convincing.

"Oh my God." Kendall's voice broke as he spoke. He sat heavily in the desk chair, holding his head in his hands. "It's my fault. It's all my fault." He continued. There was no denying it. It was the only thing that made sense. "They think Logan did it. And so...they punished him..." His voice broke as he spoke, mostly to himself.

"Did what?" Carlos asked, looking back up at James. But his boyfriend was watching Kendall and his movements, a thoughtful and almost worried expression on his face. Jett had said it was _his_ fault, so why did Kendall think it was his? Nothing seemed to make sense. Just when Carlos was about to ask again, James started pushing him gently away from his body, quietly saying, "Go check on the others."

"But." Carlos began to say, but James turned to him and said almost sharply, "Carlos go-"

Yet James didn't get to finish his sentence. Kendall let out a loud frustrated growl as he stood, took the chair he had been sitting on in his hands, and threw it heavily against the wall. Luckily it was a sturdy chair, as well as a strong wall, and no damage was done. But Kendall was still fuming, his breathing coming out in quick, angry gasps.

With quick, fluid movements, James pushed Carlos behind him, shielding his boyfriend from their friends sudden wrath. Carlos let out a small whimper of fear, and grasped onto the back of James's shirt. He had seen Kendall angry before, and was scared this would be a repeat of their friends anger.

"Kendall..." James began, hoping to keep this from escalating. His blond friend was running his hands through his hair, guilt evident on his face. "This isn't your fault."

Letting out a sharp sarcastic laugh, Kendall said, "Nice try James. But we both know that that's not true."

A figure appeared at James's door, his voice high as he asked, "What the hell was that banging sound?" Kurt shot a narrowed look at the fallen chair, and his pacing friend. Letting out a sigh, he _knew_ that Kendall would take this hard. "Blaine and I got Logan into bed." Kurt began as he walked over to Kendall. He ignored James furiously shaking his head, "Do you want to come see him?"

Kendall looked at Kurt helplessly, "I-I don't..." But Kurt reached out and gently took Kendall's hand, giving him a soft smile.

"It's okay. He's still asleep, but he's got some color back and he doesn't feel as cold anymore, which is a good sign. It's late, and we can figure the rest of this mess out in the morning okay?" His tone was as soft as his touch as he calmly led a now more subdued Kendall out of the bedroom.

Carlos and James shared a look, surprised at their friends skills at calming. They had never seen Kurt like that before, and both made a mental note to make sure he was around in case Kendall got upset again. But both were silently worried. Kendall's anger wasn't anything new to them, but so far the boy had a tight grasp on it. The last thing they wanted was that grasp to slip with Logan in the picture.

"You okay?" James asked, turning around and pulling Carlos back to his chest, running trembling hands into Carlos's hair. He had been so worried that things were about to escalate and didn't want his love to be caught in between.

Nodding into his boyfriends firm chest, Carlos said, "I really am sorry."

"Shh baby. It's okay." James whispered, leaning his head down so he could kiss Carlos's head, "We'll figure this out okay?"

Carlos looked up and stood on his tiptoes so he could kiss James on the mouth. He grasped onto James's shirt, and tried to convey every ounce of love he felt for the boy in that one kiss.

When he pulled back James had a small smile on his face, but his eyes were still nervous, "We still need to talk about things, and I'll explain to you why Kendall feels so guilty. But that was definitely a great first step towards making me me feel way better."

Carlos smiled as well as blushed gently. He then took James's hand and said, "I know. But first let's go see Logan."

* * *

><p>Voices filtered around Kendall, discussing what the next step to help Logan needed to be. But he heard nothing anyone said. Logan laid safely on the bed wrapped up in blankets. Color had returned to his face, as Kurt had said, and Kendall was glad for it. He leaned over the bed and ran a hand through the boys dark locks, glad to feel some warmth in the touch.<p>

He brought his lips down to Logan's temple, and placed a soft kiss there. When he pulled back an inch he whispered to the boy, "I'm so sorry Logan. I'm so...so sorry." He had to pause to swallow back emotion that was rising in his throat, "I promise I'll take care of you. I promise I'll make this better."

There was no response. Logan just slept on.

* * *

><p>Logan was running. His legs pumped fast as he could hear the blood in his ears. Someone bad was chasing him, but he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that if he stopped, he would never be able to move again.<p>

Hands reached out from the darkness, and he could only see trees passing by him in quick blurs. They wanted to drag him back down. Down into the darkness, tied up and alone.

So he ran. And ran. And ran...

Hands shot up from the ground. He screamed in fear, but the hands got him. He fell to the earth, digging his cold and tired fingers into the ground. But the hands were dragging him down. Into the dirt, under the earth.

Into the darkness...

Logan woke up gasping for air. His chest was heaving as he gulped in greedy breaths of air. Then, just as quickly as he had opened his eyes, he closed them again. The bright sunlight assaulted his eyes, and he felt a large headache forming just behind those abused orbs.

He moaned quietly, bringing up a hand over his closed eyes to keep even more sun out. His body ached, and he had trouble breathing.

What a nightmare. He thought, remembering vaguely of him running, and the trees...

Trees...

Suddenly his body froze. Dread filled his stomach, and he could feel himself sweating. Trees. Hawk. Burton. _Him_.

It wasn't a dream. At least that part wasn't. No. Logan knew that wasn't a dream.

He clenched the bedsheets and tried to calm his heavy breathing as the memories of that night assaulted him. They had left him there. Alone in the dark, freezing to his core. A joke. A prank. Nothing more than something to amuse them. They couldn't care less if he lived...or died.

Logan buried his face into the pillow, fighting back hot tears. He had been so _wrong_. So very wrong to believe that Dalton would be any different. What a mess. He really thought he had a chance at a better life, a better future. But so far all he had been was the joke the rest of the students enjoyed pushing around.

His heart sank. So much for a new life.

When he finally got his emotions under control, he slowly lifted his head, expecting to see Cam fast asleep in the bed beside him.

Instead he was staring right at a window, the light blinding him once more.

Letting out another groan, he turned in the bed, rubbing at his eyes, then opened them. He had to blink a few times to get them to adjust, and when they did, his mouth fell open in shock.

This wasn't his room, but there were people in it he definitely recognized. Kurt and Blaine were snuggled under a thick blanket on a couch at the far end of the room. On the floor were James and Carlos, wrapped up close as they shared one large sleeping bag.

Then, to Logan's left, was Kendall. The blond was half sprawled on the bed, his other half sitting on a chair pulled right up to the bed. One of his arms was jutting out towards the pillows, his hand palm up. For a moment Logan was confused, then realization dawned on him with a gentle blush. Kendall must have been holding his hand.

Knowing that, it did much to ease his hurt heart.

Laying back down he drew the blankets over him, and began to study Kendall's face in the morning light. The boy was breathing softly, his chest rising and falling. Gentle wisps of blond hair fell over his face, brushing against his nose and eyebrows. Logan felt a longing to reach out and brush them away, but he held back.

He didn't know what happened after he passed out last night, but somehow he had ended up here, and felt more safe than he had ever been in a long time.

Suddenly Kendall began to stir. Logan tried to decide if he should pretend to be asleep for a moment, but Kendall opened up his eyes quickly, and those beautiful green orbs settled onto Logan's tired face.

"M-morning." Logan muttered, clenching the blankets close to his face.

Kendall blinked, then emotion fell over his face. Logan could see fear, relief...and then guilt.

"Logan." Kendall whispered, pushing himself up, "Oh Logan thank God you're okay." Reaching out a arm, Kendall wrapped his hand around Logan's head and brought it in, pressing their heads gently together in a sort of hug. "Thank God." The taller one whispered again before he pulled away, but only just, "How are you feeling?"

Blushing a bright red from being so close to Kendall, Logan looked into those green eyes and fought down flips in his stomach, "O-okay. Tired." He croaked out, "Confused."

Guilt flashed in Kendall's eyes again as he let go of Logan's head. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when a voice called out, "Logan. You're up!" Though the voice was full of sleep, there was a definite lace of excitement in it.

Kendall and Logan turned to see Kurt stumbling off the couch after throwing off the blanket.

"Blaine. Get up. Logan's alive!" Kurt said, poking his boyfriend gently in the side before he slid of the couch to walk over to the two. Blaine groaned, muttered, "Hurray." Then turned his back to the others as he cuddled closer to the couch, pulling the blanket over his head before falling asleep again.

"You haven't gotten as much sleep as you should." Kurt said, rubbing his eyes with one hand, while the other hand reached out and caressed Logan's forehead. The little diva was glad to see that Logan didn't flinch when he was around anymore, but he still wasn't happy to find the boys head warm and his cheeks flushed.

"How's you're breathing? And are you cold...or hot? Are you hungry? How's your stomach-?"

"Chill Kurt." James muttered from the floor, "He's awake and talking. It's a good sign." James's voice croaked as he spoke, and Carlos only mumbled and shifted closer to James.

Huffing, Kurt turned back to Logan, "I just want to make sure. There's no reason to be too cautious."

Logan blushed and shook his head, sitting up in the bed, "Really I'm fine. Thanks though." He brought his hands up to his shirt, not recognizing the clothes, "Can someone explain to me how I got here?"

Both Kurt and Kendall looked at each other, sharing a silent look.

"Um." Logan said, "Or not...?"

Kendall looked back at Logan, "We're not entirely sure of the whole story."

"Carlos knows most of it. But the jist is he and Jett brought you here-"

"Jett?" Logan exclaimed, his brow furrowing in confusion, "Wha-? Him?" Logan ran his hands through his hair, "I'm so confused."

Kurt turned to Kendall, who so far had been looking at Logan like he wanted to hug the boy and never let go, and then nudged him with his elbow. When he got the blonds attention, he then jerked his head and nodded it towards Logan. Kendall looked at him confused, so Kurt silently sighed, rolled his eyes, and mouthed "Comfort him!"

Jumping to life, Kendall turned back to Logan, who had completely missed the entire exchange has he stared at the bed trying to understand what Kurt had just said. Gently sitting on the edge of the bed, Kendall tentatively reached out and took Logan's hand. The shorter boy jerked at the touch, then visibly blushed when his eyes rested on Kendall.

Kurt had to pinch himself to keep from cooing about how cute they looked.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Kendall said, hoping he was wrong about his suspicious. But, he knew inside he was right. Logan had suffered because of him. "If you don't want to talk about it you don't have to." Kendall finished, giving Logan a soft smile.

Logan bit his lip. He didn't want Kendall to find out that what happened was because of his prank, but when he began stuttering and trying to come up with some sort of lie, Kendall looked at the bed and whispered dejectedly, "It was my fault...wasn't it?"

"No!" Logan exclaimed, causing James to moan and throw a pillow in their direction.

"Confess your secrets more quietly please!" He called out from the floor.

Rolling his eyes, Kurt turned back to the two, Logan who was grasping onto Kendall's hand and Kendall who was staring at Logan with so much guilt in his eyes.

"Look..." Logan said, "I-I know about the prank. Hawk-" He had to pause for a moment, remembering the man brought shivers to his body, "He-he made me take blame for it. He said that it was Dak who did it, and if he went to the school about it, Dak would loose his scholarship. But if I took the blame I wouldn't get into as much trouble." He sighed, "It's not your fault Kendall."

Kurt couldn't believe what he had heard. Granted, he was used to teachers pulling strings on their students to get them to do what they wanted, but even coach Sylvester had never gone so far as to do something like this...as far as he knew anyways. What was also troubling him was that Logan seemed to be taking it all in stride. Like he hadn't just almost been seriously hurt by the actions of those who should be taking care of them.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. Something wasn't right. Logan should be much more upset about this, not trying to comfort Kendall. But that was what Logan was doing. The brunette had scooted closer to Kendall, and placed his hand on the blonds shoulder that was shaking with emotion. Kendall's eyes had gone glassy, and he was lost in the guilt.

"It's Hawk's fault that he did it. That he made me take the blame. Don't blame yourself. Please." Logan begged. For a moment he hesitated, then he scooted forward and pulled Kendall in for a hug. The blond sunk into it, wrapping his long arms around Logan, burying his face in Logan's neck.

Kendall shook his head and said vehemently, "You never should have done that. You should have just told him it was me-"

But Logan shook his head as well and said, "No. Not after everything you've done for me. And I couldn't let him pin it on Dak." He sighed, "Taking the blame had the least worst repucussions-"

Kendall cut him off this time, pulling back to look into his brown eyes, "You could have died!" It also tore at Kendall that Logan was just as devoted to Dak. He didn't want to think that maybe Logan had feelings for the boy, but now he wasn't sure.

"I'm fine Kendall." Logan said with a small smile. "I'm tougher than I look."

Kendall ran a tired hand through his hair, "I promise this wont happen to you again Logan. You don't deserve this. No one does."

Logan pressed his lips together, and a strange look crossed his eyes. Kurt couldn't identify it, but it was something he had never seen before. For a moment it held there, evident, but then it passed, and Logan gave Kendall a small smile as that same sweetness he always carried returned to those brown orbs, "Thanks." he said.

Loud banging suddenly filled the room, causing all the inhabitants to jump. Kendall and Logan pulled apart, with Logan breathing out, "Oh God is that Hawk?"

"No." Kurt said, heaving an exasperated sigh, "It's-"

But his words were drowned out as the door swung open, revealing a tall man with shaggy hair, Khaki slacks and an halfway buttoned up dress shirt. He wore no shoes but was sporting some seriously large Ray-bans. Across his chest hung a large guitar, and he strummed a few loud and sharp cords, causing everyone to throw their hands over their ears.

"Good morning fellow Fletcher's! How are you all doing on this seriously fine morning?"

"Shut up and die Guitar Dude." James mumbled as he sat up and regarded the man.

Laughing, Guitar Dude shook his head, "Oh James. You seriously need to work on your mellow vibes man. Some fine tunes and a positive outlook will do wonders to keep you all sorts of copacetic."

Logan blinked at the man in wonder. He couldn't think if he'd ever met someone like him before, and guessed he hadn't. He wore a wide smile and seemed completely at ease. Though everyone around him grumbled, they seemed to not mind his presence, and even Kurt and Kendall smiled at his comment to James.

The man then took of his sunglasses and walked towards the bed, saying, "Hey there little-man. You the new recruit?"

"Recruit?" Logan questioned, shooting a look at Kendall and Kurt.

Both boys looked at each other and then turned towards the couch, simultaneously saying, "Blaine?"

The prefect jerked awake and turned, ready to chew them out, but when he saw the man he scrambled to get off the bed, falling onto the floor in the process. When he was upright he stumbled over to the others, rubbing his eyes and croaking out, "Yeah. Yeah." He cleared his throat before continuing, "Yeah this is Logan Mitchell. He's transferring over from Burton."

"I am-?" Logan began, but the elder man thrust his hand out and grabbed Logan's, shaking it furiously.

"Welcome to the fold newbie! No hard feelings here for Burton transfers. They can be hard core at times, but it's totally banging to have new guys join." He let go of Logan's hand and gestured to the others, "And you've definitely fallen in with some awesome dudes!" He slid his sunglasses on and said, "I'm sure Blaine can handle orientation and all that. I'd do it myself, but I've got a breakfast date at the IHOP with some pumpkin pancakes and this rad chick I met at a Pink Floyd cover band last night."

With a wave the man bowed out of the room, "Peace bro's!"

Logan blinked for a minute after the man left, then turned to the others. Blaine, Kendall and Kurt stood beside his bed, nervously regarding the boy. After Guitar Dude's entrance, James and Carlos had also woken up and gone over to the bed, though James and Carlos looked worse for the wear, leaning sleepily against each other.

"Um...what just happened?" Logan asked.

All the boys looked at each other, then back at Logan. Simultaneously they all yelled, "Welcome to Fletcher!" before they all jumped onto the bed, dog piling Logan by tickling, hugging, and rubbing his head. They laughed and cheered as they welcomed the boy, each talking about all the things he could do now that he was with their dorm.

For the first time in Logan's life...he felt at home.

* * *

><p><strong>I know this ending has made at least one reader very happy. Thank you for all your reviews, you are all amazing. I'm really thankful for all of you for still reading my story, and I'm so glad that you are still enjoying it! Thank you so much!<strong>

**Also I apologize if I totally messed up Guitar Dude's dialogue. I don't speak hippy very well.**

**xoxo BA**


	11. Chapter 11

Logan regarded himself in the full body mirror with a nervous frown on his tired face. As he slid on his black and red blazer, he couldn't help but let his eyes roam to the scenery behind him.

If someone told him a week ago that he was going to be sharing a room with James holy jeeze _Diamond_...he would have laughed nervously and then tried everything in his power to keep that from happening.

Unfortunately...it happened.

"Here's a list of all things you cannot touch." James said as he walked up next to Logan and handed the boy a five page list. "I've highlighted the things that allow me to kill you if I find out you used them."

Very..._very_ unfortunately.

Gulping back a surge of nerves rising in his throat, Logan perused through the list, realizing that he was denied pretty much everything in the large dorm room besides his bed, a small _bureau_ ...and the door knob.

Logan never thought he would miss Cam's messiness. At least he had a _closet _in their dorm.

"I uh...I really appreciate you letting me stay here. I-I really don't want to be a bother-" Logan began after nervously clearing his throat and trying hard not to let his hands shake.

James just rolled his eyes as he hip checked Logan out of the way of the mirror. He turned to regard his flawless complexion and muttered, "Yeah...whatever." In all honesty, James wasn't really all that to upset to give Logan a haven from the mess over at Burton. Mostly he was just annoyed because he had been trying to get Carlos to room with him for years, but the little Latino always refused. And now that definitely wasn't going to happen with Logan here.

Carlos's refusal was the same reason Kurt wouldn't room with Blaine...they were just to young to be living together. Though Carlos spent a lot of his nights with James, he knew that they needed their own space. And, as much as James hated to agree with such an unappealing (and complete lack of sex) train of thought, it did prove useful over the years. As rarely as they fought or got upset with each other, James was at least comforted by the thought that Carlos had someplace safe for him to go when he didn't want to deal with James.

So Carlos roomed with Kurt, and Blaine roomed with Kendall...and James had the large single suite all to himself. None of the boys minded this set up, since they knew that Carlos half lived with James anyway and therefore there was never a worry about anyone being sexiled. And Blaine had only started to date Kurt not to long ago, so they had no need for a bigger room since Kurt was adamant about keeping his V-card safely intact for the time being.

And Kendall...well the only time Kendall ever fought about roommates was yesterday, when he tried to get Logan to room with him.

Unfortunately, his argument was met with crossed arms and angry glares from both Blaine and Kurt. They, quite rightly, argued that they were not allowing Logan to be under the crush induced mercy of a boy who likes him...and not even know it. Carlos, naturally, stayed out of the argument, hating fighting and any form of it. And James, now regretting following his boyfriend neutral stance, ended up with the newbie in his bedroom.

The pretty boy sighed, regarding his stunning features once again. He turned to Logan, who was studiously reading through the list, and instead regarded the boy.

James couldn't help but find it a little unusual at how Logan had surprisingly bounced back after just two days ago being assaulted the way he had been. James had been expecting the little nerd to be a bit more jittery, or at least have some anger or a need for revenge.

But...it was nothing.

Logan was acclimating to the change just fine. Like it was completely normal that he had to leave his dorm house because his classmates attacked him under the orders of their head guardian. Other than being a bit jumpy (which was nothing new), Logan seemed pretty happy that he was now living in Fletcher.

Well...mostly happy. James knew that Logan missed Cam and Dak, who he had yet to explain his move to. The pretty boy overheard him mentioning this to Kendall the night before when they were moving his stuff into James's room. He also knew that Kendall got a little jealous fire in his eyes when the boy mentioned Dak, but James said nothing and Logan missed it entirely.

_God you two are slower to get together than a pair of turtles_, James thought. But then he winced, knowing it took he and Carlos until their sophomore year to finally become boyfriends. Whatever. He was going to have to do some serious cupid work if he was ever going to get Logan out of his bedroom and into Kendall's bed. It did nothing to have Logan here when he wanted some impromptu fun times with Carlos, and he was adamant to enjoy every moment he had his love here until they were forced to separate once again at the end of the year.

Thinking about Carlos brought a little frown to James's face. He knew that he and his little Latino love needed to talk about what happened the other night. They had been so busy with moving Logan in that they hadn't stopped to even bring it up. And a part of James didn't want to. Honestly, he'd rather just act like the whole thing didn't happen...but it did.

He already knew that Carlos knew Jett...honestly the blond boy's ego was so damn big everyone on campus was familiar with him. Also Carlos had attended enough of James's hockey games that he knew each person on the team. Yet James seriously underestimated how close Carlos was with the Burton boy. When Carlos first came to Dalton, he had been placed in Burton, but ended up transferring to Fletcher after only a few months. James always thought Carlos had transferred because he became such good friends with everyone in Fletcher through the Warblers...but now he wasn't sure.

Frustration rose up in James once again. He didn't want to believe that Carlos was keeping secrets from him...but the events from the other night were just to confusing to ignore.

But God how he wanted to ignore it.

A knock at their dorm door interrupted James's thoughts, and before James could even finish calling out, "Come in." The door swung open, revealing a respectable Blaine with a Kurt and Kendall following him.

"Ready for your first morning at Fletcher?" Blaine called out, walking over to Logan to clasp a hand on his shoulder as Kurt strode across the room to fix Logan's tie.

"It's a Windsor knot Logan not a double cross knot. Honestly who taught you to tie a tie?" The petite boy admonished as he undid Logan's tie and began to tie it again.

"Um..." Logan began, now getting used to Kurt's manhandling, "YouTube?"

Kendall, who had been watching the scene with a amusement, lifted his hand to give the shorter boy a high-five, "Amen to that brother."

James rolled his eyes at the exchange and grabbed his backpack on the end of his bed, "Whatever. I'm going to find Carlos." He turned to Kurt, "Please tell me he is at least awake and halfway dressed."

Shooting him a quick look before going back to Logan's tie, Kurt answered, "He was awake. But on his phone looking at YouTube clips of that Spanish novella he's obsessed with."

James groaned before he started heading out of the room, yelling, "Carlos get off your phone and get dressed now!"

A now very proper looking Logan smiled at the scene, adjusting the tie after Kurt finished. He nodded at the boy and said, "Thank you. I always get the knots mixed up."

"No worries." Kurt said with a smile, then turned to Blaine, "You ready to introduce him to a typical Fletcher morning?"

"I can't imagine it being any different from Burton?" Logan asked, but suddenly Kendall was by his side with a arm slung over his shoulders.

"Oh little naive Logan. Haven't you realized that Fletcher is superior to all things Burton?" Kendall said, leading the boy out of the room, with Blaine and Kurt in front of them.

"Well obviously the students at Fletcher are way cooler." Logan joked to the boy, his face heating up a bit at being so close to Kendall.

"And better singers." Kurt added, turning back to Logan.

"And better dressers." Blaine said, adjusting his own tie with a sly smirk.

With a confused frown, Logan said to his prefect, "But...we all wear uniforms."

Kurt smirked back at Logan and said, "You've never seen my boyfriend work a bow tie." He winked at Blaine who blushed a little at Kurt's compliment. But, he was secretly please that to hear his boyfriend still thought his casual wear was attractive.

Suddenly James popped his out of Kurt's and Carlos's bedroom, "Kendall? Get your butt into the common room. We need to talk. Now."

Kendall let out a little huff of annoyance as James turned heel and left without even waiting for an answer. He turned to Logan and said, "I should probably go. A huffy James can be even more deadly than an angry James." He gently squeezed Logan's arm and said, "I'll see you at class?"

Logan nodded and watched Kendall leave, unaware of Blaine and Kurt sharing a small smile at the interactions between their friends. Kendall had been helping Logan acclimate to Fletcher over the weekend, doing his best to alleviate himself of the guilt he held from what happened to Logan, and to get even closer to the boy they all knew he had a crush on. They were glad to see that Kendall's anger at the situation seemed set aside...for now.

Blaine stepped into Kendall's empty space and said, "Okay...let's introduce you to your new dorm mates."

"Um..okay." Logan said, walking out of the dorm with Kurt on his other side. As they walked down the stairs to the second floor, Logan expected the general hustle and bustle of a busy Monday morning of students getting ready their day. Dalton blazers, leather satchels and the sleepy indecision to risk a shower or being late for class.

So when they got to the empty hallway, Logan looked around, confused. Blaine opened up a hidden notch inside the wall about three feet wide. He reached in and pulled out a large old school looking boom box, then placed it on the ground.

Kurt nudged Logan and said, "You might want to cover your ears." As he lifted his own hands to do so, Logan frowned but followed his actions.

"Gotta love Mondays." Blaine muttered, then pressed a button on the box.

Fast music blasted from the stereo, and within moments all the doors to the hallway opened with groaning tired and bed-headed students stumbling out of their rooms. Just as Flo Rida began singing about his _Good Feeling_ Blaine nudged Logan down the hallway, weaving in and out of the students way as they hoarsely muttered their good mornings. Logan recognized a good portion of them from the Warblers, but there were some that he had no clue as to who they were.

"Why the music?" Logan called out to Blaine.

"Trust me. Nothing else works. If I didn't do something most of the students would just sleep the week away." Explained Blaine with a shrug.

As they came to one of the doorways, Blaine pushed it open wider and turned to Logan, "Let me introduce you to some students you might want to be a little aware of while living here."

"And by aware of, he means stay out of their way or else you'll find yourself in awkward situations you rather be dead than deal with." Kurt said, nodding towards the inside of the room.

Frowning, Logan followed his gaze, then yelped as a bright flash of blue light swung in front of him. He jerked out of the way, then blinked a few times to let his eyes settle on the sight before him.

"What the-?" Logan muttered, and Blaine answered his unspoken question.

"Meet Reynolds and Malcolm. Our resident experts in all things geek, nerdy and personally I think, pretty cool."

Kurt huffed from beside Blaine and said, "Honestly dear, you and I are going to have to work out a new definition of cool for you. If it doesn't have the words Vogue, Broadway or New York attached to it, it is just _not_ an acceptable definition of cool."

"Are...are they...having a light saber battle?"Logan interrupted in awe, distracting the other two. Unable to fully believe it, Logan watched as two boys about his age were currently jumping around the room, engaged in an epic sword battle using their blue and green light sabers. Posters and drawings lined the walls, consisting of various science fiction, comic book and movie and TV figures that Logan was half familiar with.

The taller of the two was dressed in a red t-shirt that had an image of Iron Man on it. His pajama bottoms were dark blue that almost matched his eyes, complete with spaceships on them. He grinned widely as his sandy blond hair swayed and moved, then yelled out, "Admit it. The 9th Doctor was far superior!"

The other boy, shorter by about a foot, parried his opponents blow, his own green eyes fierce below shaggy raven locks that made his pale skin seem almost doll-like. His own attire consisted of a black t-shirt with Darth Vader on it and pajama bottoms sporting a small robot that Logan thought looked like R2-D2 but was an almost brown, rustic color with knobs along its body and long sprouts protruding out of it.

"Hardly!" The second shouted back, "The 10th Doctor lacks an emotional consistency that is needed in each character."

Rolling his eyes Kurt muttered, "Every morning it's something else..."

"Star Wars versus Star Trek." Blaine offered.

"Torchwood versus Firefly." Kurt countered.

"Pop Tarts versus Toaster Strudels." Blaine finished.

He turned to his boyfriend as the others were now grappling on the floor, and continued, "Darling would you take this one? I want to continue Logan's tour."

With a sigh Kurt nodded, stepping into room and yelling, "Alright you two. If anyone hits me with that stupid fake sword I am personally going to shove it down your throat!"

Chuckling, Blaine led Logan out of the dorm and continued walking down the hallway, "Okay and this is Hiro Jun Ryuu Nakamura." He spoke the name flawlessly, "Our Japanese exchange student." As he stopped at a closed door he banged on it, then turned back to Logan. "We call him Nori for short."

"Why Nori?" Logan asked.

"Cause he has a bit of a sushi obsession. And he doesn't really like his name anyways." Blaine answered with a small smile.

The door swung open, and Logan looked up...and up...and up.

"Oh." Logan squeaked, having expected to see a Japanese boy of his own similar height and age.

Not...

"Morning Nori. You up for trying some O.J. And bacon today?" Blaine asked with his usual charm. "And I want to introduce you to a new Fletcher. This is Logan."

The boy that stood before them was hardly someone one would consider...a boy. He stood a good three feet taller than either Logan and Blaine, and his width was so much that he nearly equaled Blaine and Logan standing together. He wore a large plain white t-shirt and black drawstring pants. His pale white feet stood out of his pants like giant planks against the dark wooden floors.

The Japanese boy turned his dark eyes to Logan, who let out a small whimper of a "H-Hello."

Letting out a grunt, the boy turned back to Blaine and began speaking in rapid-fire Japanese. When he finished, Blaine chuckled and answered back in Nori's language, just as flawless as if he had been born there.

Logan blinked a few times, his eyes wide as he watched his friend spoke. _I really need to stop __underestimating Fletcher_, he thought.

"Okay. I'll see you in class." Blaine finished, and Logan turned back to Nori just as the door was slammed in his face.

They both were silent for a moment before Logan quietly asked, "Um...is-is he-?"

"The youngest Sumo champion in Japan." Blaine answered.

Taking a moment to consider this, Logan asked,"Then why is he...here?"

With a shrug, Blaine said, "I don't know. Change of scenery I guess?"

Logan contemplated this answer, but found it to be lacking. His suspicions increased when Blaine quickly changed the subject. "C'mon. There are a few others I want you to meet."

"Are they just as...original?" Logan questioned, following Blaine down the hallway.

But his Prefect laughed, "That's the good thing about Fletcher. It's never boring...I promise."

* * *

><p>"Nope. No. No way. Not going to happen." James said to Kendall as they walked down the pathway to their classes from their dorms. Both were bundled up in their gray pea coats against the harsh wind blowing them down with the oncoming winter air.<p>

"I can't face Hawk knowing what I know. I-I'll just explode and beat the crap out of him!" Kendall answered James with frustration, and a mental note to never mention anything to Carlos again and not expect it to get back to James. He never should have told the little Latino he was thinking about quitting.

His brunette friend sighed in understanding, but still refused to back down, "There is no way you are quitting the hockey team. First of all, Logan will kill you because it will be easy to figure out why you are quitting the sport you love more than...oh I don't know..._anything_."

Kendall grunted, but made no comment.

"Then," James continued, "The team will kill you for letting them down. We all know the only reason we've gotten the gold the past two years is because of you. If you quit now, you might as well just leave Dalton."

Again, Kendall grumbled but said nothing.

"And thirdly," James said, jumping in front of Kendall to make sure the boy was looking at him when he spoke, "What makes you think that this wasn't Hawks plan all along. You said he saw you and Logan talking the day it happened...right?"

Nodding, Kendall gave his friend a confused look.

"What if...Okay just hear me out. What if Hawk did this to Logan, not because of the prank, but because he knew it would tick you off enough to quit the team?" As Kendall began to roll his eyes, James pressed on hurriedly. "Think about it. Jett is Hawk's precious ass kisser..._but_...do you really think Hawk would risk a student just to get him punished for a prank?" James shook his head, "No way. There's gotta be something in it for him."

At Kendall's contemplative look, James explained, "Jett becomes captain. You're off the team with everyone pissed at you, and Hawk can take all the glory if the team somehow stumbles their way into victory." With a shrug James finished, "Even if everyone looses, he still get's you off the team."

"I'm not sure..." Kendall began, but James cut him off.

"Think about it. We _both_ know that Hawk's weakness is he overestimates himself and underestimates everyone else. Even though everyone in Dalton, even Jett, knows that you are the best hockey player around, Hawk doesn't agree, and therefore he believes he is right, and wants you off the team because you keep proving him wrong."

Running a hand through his hair, Kendall shook his head, "Say you're right. How the hell would Hawk know how I feel about Logan anyways?"

James gave Kendall a look that clearly said, 'Seriously?'

"Dude I kinda hate to break it to you but it's pretty damn obvious. You practically drool over the kid."

Kendall gave James a light shove, reply, "Shut up. I do not." As they continued walking, Kendall asked, "Do you really think Hawk would go that far to get me off the team?"

James hesitated before answering, "If you asked me last year, I would have said no. But haven't you noticed that something is off with Hawk this year? He's more...mean. More ruthless." Heaving out a sigh, James shook his head, "Now? I hate to say it but...yes."

"Great." Kendall muttered, forlornly, "So it's still my fault that Logan got hurt."

"Dude it is not your fault." James hissed at his friend, glaring at him, "It's Hawk's fault. He's the one who did this to Logan-"

"But Logan's only in his line of fire because of me. I encouraged him to try out for Warblers. I'm the one trying to become friends with him. I'm-"

"The one who is going to try to make sure nothing else bad happens to him again." James finished for his friend. "You can't control what other people do to the people you care about Kendall. It'll drive you crazy to even try." James's tone took on a softer side that Kendall rarely heard. Suddenly it clicked with him that his pretty friend might know more about what they were talking about than he realized.

Kendall frowned at his friend, recognizing where he got this bit of wisdom from. Though the blond wasn't entirely aware of Carlo's home situation, he knew that his little Latino friend did not have quite the loving home many of his friends did.

Kendall could relate.

"I know man. Sorry." Kendall muttered.

Shrugging, James slid on his sunglasses, and looked up into the blue, cloudless sky. "It's cool man." He looked back down at his friend, "So you still going to quit?"

Silence stretched out before them, before Kendall smiled. "No." He turned and started heading down the path, "But I sure as hell am not going to make things easy for Hawk."

* * *

><p>"I still don't understand." Cam said, her voice unsteady as she spoke, "I thought you were okay with rooming with me?" Though she was trying to keep quiet while they were in the library, hidden amongst the stacks, Logan could tell it was difficult for her.<p>

Logan shifted his backpack, frowning at his friends unease. He wanted to comfort Cam, and tell her it's not because he knows her secret. There was nothing more that he wanted to say to her and Dak, who was also staring at him questioningly, than the truth about what happened.

But he couldn't.

"I was. And...I am. I just, I got offered a dorm in Fletcher and it seemed like a good idea. With the Warblers and everything." He offered lamely, knowing it wasn't the best excuse. He felt bad that Cam, who came back to Dalton after going home for the weekend to find her roommate, who also was the only person who knew her secret, had moved out of their room.

He was surprised that she was taking it so hard, thinking she would be glad to have the privacy. But Cam looked like she was about to cry, which only served to make Logan more miserable. "But if you're in Fletcher you can't come to Burton." She said, remembering Hawk's rule.

Logan knew he had to do something fast. She was loosing control of deepening her voice through her tears, and he didn't want Dak to suspect something.

But, surprisingly, Dak placed a hand on Cam's shoulder and said, "Don't worry dude. It's fine. It's not like we're never going to see you again." He dragged an arm over Logan's shoulder and pulled him in close. "We understand."

"We do?" Cam sniffed, and jumped into the hug.

Chuckling, Logan pulled away and said, "I promise I won't be a stranger."

"Am I interrupting something?" Came a voice from the end of the stacks. All three turned their heads to see Jett standing there with a questioning look at them. He had a bruise on the left side of his face, but other than that he looked the same as he always did. Intimidating, strong, and ready to make a life miserable.

Logan gave a frown at the boy and answered, "Just breaking the news to them that I'm transferring to Fletcher." His stomach began doing flips. This was the first time he was seeing Jett since...that night.

Something flashed in Jett's eyes, but just as quickly as it came, it dissolved into the charismatic arrogance Jett wore like skin, "Ah yes. The traitor. Going to Fletcher because it was too hard for you at Burton?" His voice became narrowed and mocking, and a self satisfied grin stretched across his face.

And yet...it was evident that Jett's words lacked the harshness these three were familiar with, but Logan was the only one who knew why.

"Just seemed like a better fit." Logan said evenly, and left it at that.

Realizing that Logan wasn't going to say anything more, Jett turned to Dak and said, "Hockey practice starts in twenty, let's get going."

Nodding, Dak exchanged a looked between Jett and Logan, before grasping his shorter friends shoulder and saying, "See you around." He grabbed his bags and followed Jett out of the stacks.

Now alone, Cam turned to Logan and said, "Is it because of...you know? Please be honest with me."

Shaking his head, Logan grabbed his own backpack and said, "Trust me. It has nothing to do with you. I promise." He smiled as they began walking out of the stacks as well, "Now you have all the privacy you want. You don't have to worry about me being there."

Sighing, Cam said, "I have to admit, it'll be nice to take a break from the act when I'm alone in my room." Although she gave him a little shove and said, "But I'm still going to miss you."

Laughing, Logan said, "Please. You're not getting rid of me yet."

* * *

><p>"Jett stop." Dak said, his voice harsh as they entered into the hockey rink.<p>

The blond stopped short and let out a sigh. As he turned back to the shorter boy he rolled his eyes and said, "Yes your highness?"

Dak said nothing. He stared at the boy for a few moments, his eyes unreadable.

"Look," Jett began with annoyance, "I don't have time for a staring contest or whatever. Practice starts soon-"

"What happened to Logan?" Dak cut him off.

Silence surrounded them for a moment, before Jett said, "I don't know what you're talking-"

Again Dak ignored Jett's words to continue speaking, "I know that you pissed Hawk off the other night." He paused for a moment, then, "I heard what he said. I _saw_ him do that to you." He nodded towards Jett's bruise, and the blond looked away angrily.

"And then Logan's suddenly transferring to Fletcher?" Dak shook his head, "I know you guys have been hassling Logan for a while. Only makes sense that something went to far." He pressed his lips into a thin line, confusion evident in his eyes, "But Hawk said you helped him..._rescued_ him. And you did...didn't you?"

"Mind your own Goddamned business Dak." Jett growled and spun around, stalking angrily towards the locker rooms.

"You're not as bad as you want everyone to think you are." Dak called out to the boy.

Jett paused, then turned back to Dak, his voice desperate as he spoke, "Trust me. It's safer if you believe that I am." Then he walked away, leaving Dak even more confused than before.

* * *

><p>Not for the first time this evening did Logan secretly miss Burton. Granted he was glad he didn't have to worry about bullies or Hawk breathing down his neck, which was in itself an amazing thing. But Burton was a place where the students were all focused on academics and being the absolute best in their field; a mindset encouraged by a quiet atmosphere and respect for personal space.<p>

This was not so at Fletcher.

"Duck!" Someone yelled for the third time, and Logan lowered his head just as he heard a loud object zoom by his head. The resulting crash made him wonder if the now destroyed object wasn't something more precious and rare than the recently deceased Viennese vase that laid in shards on the bottom of the trash barrel.

The common room was used more as a playground...and not so much as a proper area for study. Many Fletcher students, some from Warblers and some he had met this morning, were lounging about in the first floor common area. Logan recognized it as where he had first saw Kendall that night.

Blushing gently at the memory, Logan felt like that night was ages ago.

Another crash brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to regard the chaos around him. As he was sitting on the couch, his Physics book on his lap, he watched as some of his classmates were playing a game of hacky sack...but with a soccer ball. A couple others were practicing their dance moves for Warblers. Malcolm and Reynolds were sitting on the floor in front of Logan, loudly arguing over which Avenger brought more merit to their team. Behind Logan, Nori was currently arm wrestling with some students, a line of them each waiting for a turn. By the bored look on his face, Logan knew who was winning. No one else seemed to be studying or doing homework besides Logan, and the boy had to wonder how they all passed their classes.

"What did I tell you about breaking things for fun!" Came a loud voice from the doorway. Logan turned and saw Blaine strolling into the room to snatch the soccer ball away from the boys, ready to give a stern lecture.

"Ah c'mon Blaine!" One of the boys exclaimed, "At least this time the ball wasn't on fire!"

A soft chuckling alerted Logan that someone was taking a seat besides him, and he turned to see that it was Kurt.

"It's kind of ridiculously adorable the way he takes care of everyone here." The porcelain skinned boy commented with a smile at his boyfriend.

Nodding, Logan said, "He really takes his job seriously."

Kurt turned back to Logan, "So what are you doing down here in this mad house?"

Logan let out a sigh and shook his head, "James told me before he left for hockey practice to stay away from the room after five and if I did, and I quote, "he and Carlos would _try_ and not have sex on my bed." I'm hoping he was just kidding." He paused, "You think he is kidding...right?"

"When it comes to James," Kurt began with a lazy grin, "You can never really know."

As Logan closed his eyes and groaned quietly in defeat, Kurt just offered him a consolidating smile.

"So besides trying to keep your bed from being violated...how has everything else been going?" Kurt said, lowering his voice and giving Logan a knowing look. It had been discussed between him and the others how Logan seemed much to fine with what happened the other night. Kurt was worried that Logan was just bottling it all up inside. Unfortunately Kurt knew all to well how poorly that can turn out.

"Fine." Logan said, giving a shrug, "It's still not easy running into Jett and stuff...but I'm okay."

"You ran into Jett?" Kurt asked, his eyes wide.

Logan nodded, "Yeah...but he didn't say anything about what happened."

Biting his lip, Kurt said, "Logan. It's okay. You can talk about it if you want."

But Logan just shook his head, "No...I'm fine. But thank you."

Just as Kurt was about to try again, Blaine interrupted, unaware of the conversation going on. Now done reprimanding the boys, Blaine had walked over to Kurt and Logan, "I swear they just never learn."

"Or they don't _want_ to learn." Kurt commented as he stood to give his boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Blaine think fast!" A voice called out.

The prefect turned to see the soccer ball being thrown his way, but before he could even react his boyfriend reached out with lightening quick reflexes and caught the ball before it hit his boyfriend.

Silence fell over the room. Those who had seen the movement were stunned and those who hadn't turned curiously to follow the formers gaze.

Blaine blinked a few times, but Kurt ignored his boyfriends surprise to stomp over to the boys, a narrowed, dangerous gaze upon his face.

The small group of boys who were the current objects at the end of Kurt's warpath looked at each other nervously as Kurt advanced. Just as the porcelain skinned boy was about to come up to them, mouth opened and ready for a serious diva styled beat down, two figures suddenly jumped in front of him.

"Holy crap dude! That was epic!" Malcolm exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Mad shiny dude. Was not expecting that." Reynolds agreed from beside his friend.

"Oh my God. Malcolm and Reynolds are agreeing on something. It's a Christmas miracle." Blaine replied dryly, walking up to the others. He reached out and snatched the soccer ball out of Kurt's hands and said, "No yelling at our classmates."

"But-" Kurt began with a pout. He wanted his classmates to not take advantage of his boyfriend...and also he had been really looking forward to chewing out some of them as well.

However, Blaine interrupted with a smile, "I think the boys learned their lesson enough just by seeing your death walk."

With a sigh Kurt rolled his eyes and said, "I do have that Elizabeth Taylor don't mess with me or I'll skin you alive kind of strut."

"Where'd you learn to catch like that?" Reynolds asked, taking the soccer ball out of Blaine's hands to casually toss it up in the air.

"I was on the Football team back at McKinley." Kurt answered with a elegant shrug.

Silence stretched out in the room again as all eyes darted back and forth. The silence was interrupted as the soccer ball fell onto the floor, being missed by Reynolds stunned stature.

"Y-You were on the football team?" Malcolm asked, his voice echoing everyone's thought's. It was hard to believe that their most diva like classmate would ever even entertain the thought of joining such a rough and tumble sort of sport.

"As in with a helmet?" Reynolds continued.

"And...dirt..."

"And...other big burly football players?"

"Who could kill you with a flick of their steroid induced wrists?"

"Um...right." Kurt said, then, "You guys have been watching to many stereotypical sci-fi shows." He paused, "And not all of them took steroids...that I know of."

"Kurt even helped win a game." Blaine said proudly. "Using Beyonce's dance moves."

"Oh tell us how!" One Kurt's Warbler teammates exclaimed excitedly, and Malcolm grabbed Kurt's wrist to drag him back over to the couches. The rest of the students in the common room all gathered around Kurt, eager to hear this story.

Not expecting this sudden interest, Kurt blinked in surprise at everyone's expectant stares and said, "Well...it all started when my dad caught me in my room practicing my dance number for Beyonce's song _Single Ladies_..."

* * *

><p>Logan stumbled out of the common room, sure that no one saw him leave. His trembling hands were sweaty and his head spinning. No. He didn't need to hear this story.<p>

He already knew it.

* * *

><p>"...So Brittney...in her infinite wisdom, told him I was the kicker on the football team and learning these dance moves helped keep me flexible. My dad bought it...and I had to join the team or else he would suspect I was gay." Kurt paused, "I-I hadn't really come out yet and I wasn't sure how he was going to take it..."<p>

* * *

><p>Dark and dangerous memories danced at the edge of his vision, and Logan had to lean up against the wall outside the common room to catch his breath. He could hear Kurt's voice trail down the hallway, and desperately took deep breaths to calm himself. But it wasn't working. He couldn't forget...the memories wouldn't let him.<p>

* * *

><p>"...turned out I was actually a really good kicker. All that play time as a kid pretending to be a Rockette really paid off. But the rest of the team...well...kind of sucked. So I taught them the dance moves to <em>Single Ladies. <em>You know, get them used to moving and being flexible. They thought it was stupid, of course. But what did they really have to loose?"

* * *

><p>Logan reached the bathroom stall and leaned against the toilet. All his emotions and fears were suddenly churning hard in his stomach, and he couldn't keep it down. Visions and memories were blurring together, and he began dry heaving from the weight of their movements behind his eyes.<p>

Faceless hands that grabbed at him mixed with pushing him and then tying him to the tree. Ropes that dragged him underground. He couldn't push them away and when they got to be to much he began dry heaving again...but nothing would come out. His throat became sore and his chest ached...but he couldn't stop the memories.

* * *

><p>"...the night of my first game. We decided we needed a distraction against the other team...try something new. So...they all did the dance moves on the field! During the game! It was awesome to see and well...we got them so confused we got to score a touchdown! Then...I had to kick for a field goal, and I did my dance moves and got it in and we won!<p>

* * *

><p>A voice was calling his name...but he couldn't make out who it was. He had gone to far down the path of his memories and wasn't sure how to claw his way back out again. One thing was clear...that these memories had a strong hold on him...and weren't about to let him go.<p>

* * *

><p>"Jesus Logan...wake up!" Kendall grabbed at the hyperventilating boy, pulling him close to his body. The shivers that were wracking through Logan rumbled in Kendall's chest, but the blond only held tighter.<p>

He had just come back from hockey practice to find Kurt telling his story of how he won the McKinley football game. Just as he was about to leave and go find Logan, he noticed on the couch Logan's school books...but no Logan.

Taking that as a weird sign, Kendall left and started heading back towards the bedrooms...but heard noises coming from the lavatories down the hall.

When he got there...he was shocked by what he saw.

Logan was hunched up beside a toilet bowl, his face white and eyes blown wide with fear. Sweat trickled over his pale skin, and his dark locks were damp from it. Taunt arms crossed over his legs, and his breathing was coming in and out in sharp gasps.

Kendall didn't need to be told twice that Logan was in the midst of a panic attack.

"Shh baby." Kendall cooed to the boy, running a hand through his sweat slicked hair, "I've got you. Just relax I've got you."

"K-Kendall?" Logan groaned out after a minute, and when Kendall looked down he saw Logan's eyes starting to clear as he looked up at him.

"Hey." Kendall muttered, "Stay with me okay?"

"I-I-" Logan began, but his words were cut off as a new voice echoed in the room.

"What the hell is going on?"

Both Logan and Kendall turned to see Kurt and Blaine walk into the bathroom...with some of the other Fletcher's following to see what was going on.

"Can you get them out of here?" Kendall asked of his friends as Logan buried his face in Kendall's chest. He could feel the hotness of Logan's embarrassment on his cheeks when they pressed against his T-shirt.

Blaine turned to see the others trying to peek in, and quickly put a stop to that, "Okay guys out. This isn't a show." Holding up his hands he walked out with the others, shutting the bathroom door on them as he ignored their grumbling.

Kurt had been staring at them, silent since he first came in, but suddenly he shook his head and said, "I knew it."

"What?" Kendall asked tiredly, wishing everyone would just leave them alone.

"He's freaking out because of what happened." Kurt exclaimed, his voice high with anger, "I've kept my mouth shut because I know it's Logan's choice, but he needs to tell someone about what happened."

"What?" Logan muttered, confused. His head was still swimming and he couldn't focus quite yet. "What are you talking about?" Did Kurt know about...? Or was it because of what Hawk did. Logan shook his head and gave a little groan, wishing this day would be over.

"Kurt-" Blaine began, as he walked over to his boyfriend. However, Kurt cut him off.

"No Blaine. This isn't okay. It isn't right that this happened to Logan and no one is doing anything about it."

"You know what Carlos said. And you know that he's right. Hawk will just make Logan's life more miserable if he tries to get the school involved." Kendall said, "I don't like it anymore than you do-"

"But you're still not going to do anything about it." Kurt shot back.

Blaine frowned at his boyfriend and walked up to him, gently taking his hand, "Baby I know why you're acting like this. Why you're so upset. I know it still bothers you about what happened at McKinley-"

"This isn't about me Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed, stepping away from his boyfriend.

"I know but-" Blaine tried again. Kurt just shook his head.

"Whatever. Fine. You all do what you want." Kurt said, and walked out of the bathroom.

Sighing, Blaine turned to Kendall and Logan, "I'll go talk to him."

"Give him some time Blaine." Kendall said, and the prefect only nodded and walked out.

Kendall looked down at Logan, who now seemed more conscious, "You okay there?"

Looking up at Kendall with sad brown eyes, Logan said, "I feel so bad. I don't want everyone fighting because of me." Logan silently kicked himself. He should have this under more control.

But Kendall ran his hand through Logan's hair again and said, "Don't talk like that. This isn't your fault. None of it." He pulled Logan in for another tight hug before saying, "You want some help back to your room?"

Logan began to nod, then stopped and let out a little groan of frustration, "I can't go back to my room. James made it off limits for the next two hours."

Chuckling, Kendall began to stand, helping Logan do the same. When he was sure Logan could stand on his own, he reluctantly let go of the boy.

"Well if you want...you can hang out in my dorm for a while?" Kendall offered, hoping the boy would say yes.

Blinking up at Kendall in confusion, Logan answered, "You-you want me to hang out with you?"

"Well...only if you want to-"

"Sure"

His heart skipped a couple of beats and Kendall smiled, "Great!"

But Logan stood for a few moments fidgeting, "You...um...you're not going to try and make me talk about...this," Logan gestured to the spot where they had just been sitting, "Are you?"

"Logie," Kendall began, smiling when a slight blush filtered across Logan's features at that nickname, "If you ever want to talk about this...or anything...I will be more than happy to be there for you." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and continued, "But I will never force you. Okay?"

Gratitude swept into Logan's eyes as he regarded his friend, "Thank you."

* * *

><p>"I wasn't expecting to find you here."<p>

Kurt looked up at the front doorway to see his father standing there, blinking sleep away from his tired eyes as he opened the door. Kurt didn't know where else to go expect back to his home. He had to talk to his father, he knew no one else would be able to understand.

"Um...yeah..." Kurt muttered as he wiped his face from the tears falling down it, "I-I just...I couldn't-"

But his father just walked silently up to him and wrapped his arms around his son, "It's okay buddy. It's okay."

An hour later found the two in Burt's garage; the elder leaning over a Chevy Impala's engine with the hood up and his son sitting next to him as he handed him his tools. Kurt had haltingly gone over the story of what happened to Logan, and was trying to asses what his father might suggest.

"So what do you think?" Kurt asked his father, handing him a wrench with a thoughtful expression.

"I think you care about your friends," Burt said, casting his son a quick glance, "And as much as I hate to say it, I think your friends are right." And he did hate to say it. He had to watch as his own son had gotten bullied so badly at his old school that he had to leave. It pained him to know that his son was watching it all over again with one of his friends.

Blinking in surprise, Kurt said, "What? But...but he was assaulted. And something should be done about it-"

"Tell me," Burt said as he stood up and whipped his hands on a dirty rag, "What do you know about Logan's parents?"

The question threw Kurt. He was silent for a moment as he thought about it, then answered with a, "I don't...know." In all honesty, Kurt had to admit that he hadn't ever heard Logan mention his parents...or about any family member...once.

"Does he have parents? Is he an orphan?" Burt pressed, watching as his son thought over his words.

Pressing his lips together in contemplation, Kurt shook his head, "I don't think so. I know orphans at Dalton. Mostly they're there because family members sent them there. But Logan...I don't know. I wouldn't peg him as one...but I could be wrong..."

"Look," Burt began as he leaned up against the car, "Normally I would say try to encourage your friend to talk to his parents about this. You're friends are right when they say that going up against the school by themselves to expose this probably wont do anything."

When his son tried to open his mouth to protest, Burt interrupted, "I know. But take this from someone whose been around the block a few times. This place is old money and old traditions. They can make things a big deal...or make them go away. Logan's a scholarship student...and if I'm right, then getting an education there is what Logan cares about more than getting revenge. It means a chance at a good college...a better future...a better life." He sighed, "It's not like back at McKinley, where I could come in and talk right with the principle and make things happen. With Dalton you need money...and influence. None of which you boys, or I, have." He sighed, "An angry parent has a lot more leeway than a couple of students."

At his sons forlorn expression, Burt sighed and said, "Trust me. No one want's to help this kid more than I do, and if I thought I could go there and do it I would." He placed a hand on Kurt's neck and gave him an encouraging squeeze, "God knows I would do it for you in an instant."

Giving his father a grateful look, Kurt said, "I know Dad. You're my champion. The Han Solo to my Luke Skywalker" He joked with a small smile, and made a mental note to stop hanging out with Malcolm and Reynolds for a while, but it soon fell as he continued, "But you think Logan doesn't have any support from his home...don't you?"

When his father sighed and looked away, Kurt knew it was something more, "What Dad?"

Burt wiped his hands a few times with the rag before he answered, "Look. I'm not a hundred percent sure...and I don't want you getting involved if I'm right okay?"

Cocking his head to the side, Kurt questioned, "What are you talking about?"

Sighing, Burt said, "Okay...look. From everything you've told me about your friend...I...I got to say. If he does have a home life...it probably isn't a good one okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"What happened to Logan...it's a big deal. I'm not downplaying it at all." Burt paused to make sure his son was paying attention, "But he's letting it go easily...to easily." He shook his head, "Almost like...he's used to being treated like this. Badly...you know?"

As he son contemplated this, Burt continued, "Can you tell me, if this happened to any one of your other friends, would they let it go? Or not tell their parent's about it?"

Thinking for a minute, Kurt finally shook his head, "No. They would go after Hawk with a vengeance."

"That's what I mean." Burt said as he shut the hood to the car.

Kurt thought about this for a moment, contemplating his fathers words. He hadn't any proof...but a lot of it made sense. Suddenly he felt sick. Could it really be that Logan lived in a abusive household?

"A lot of the signs are there...aren't they?" Kurt said to his father, looking up at him with sad eyes.

A small nod was the only answer.

Kurt shifted, unhappy and worried with this information.

"Just be careful with this okay? Don't go asking questions or pestering him about it. Let him talk about it when he's ready...or he'll never talk. And keep an eye on triggers."

"Triggers?" Kurt asked.

Nodding, Burt said, "Yeah. Things that people say or do that trigger memories." Burt paused, "It's probably what happened to Logan today. Something triggered a bad memory and he just...freaked out."

Confused, Kurt said, "But all that was happening was that he was in the common room with us."

"Well..what was going on in the common room?"

"I was telling everyone the story of how I won the football game doing the _Single Ladies_ dance." Kurt answered with a soft smile. He continued on quickly when his father gave him a look, "They asked me to tell them!" 

Burt chuckled a bit, "And then Logan left during the story?"

"Yeah." Kurt answered, his own confusion growing.

His father was silent for a moment, before he spoke, "Kurt...is Logan from Lima?" When his son shook his head, Burt continued, "Where is Logan from?"

"That I do know." Kurt said with a smile, "It's Burlington. Only a couple of hours from Lima."

Soft eyebrows narrowed in confusion, and Kurt had to ask, "What?" at his fathers face.

Silence stretched out in the room, before Burt said, "Kurt...Burlington is the team you beat in that game."

* * *

><p><strong>Finished! My sincerest apologies for taking so long to update. I'm really going to try and put my writing first for now on. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I really didn't like how it was coming out so it took me a while to go back and edit it over and over to get what I wanted out of it. Thank you so much for reading!<strong>

**Also, to anyone who is concerned, Cam's character won't be a big part of this story. She will be a minor part in it, but trust me when I say that this is Logan's story and the main focus will be on the boys. So no worries there! **

**Happy New Year everyone and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! **


	12. Chapter 12

**I really apologize profusely for taking so long to update. I am working on this story as well as updating _Revenge of the Nightmare_, so I'm really sorry that this chapter is so short, but there will be more to come. I hope you like it and again I am so, so, so sorry for taking so long to update. Thank you for sticking around and for all your comments and requests for me to continue. I really appreciate that you all like the story so much! Also, no Logan in this chapter, but there will be loads more of him to come in the next chapter...as well as the introduction of another familiar character! **

* * *

><p>Carlos was sure that he had worn a long line onto James's bedroom floor, waiting for James to come back from hockey practice. Carlos knew that James would want him to explain his past with Jett, and while he knew that he couldn't avoid it, he had been panicking about it all day.<p>

His pacing had been going on for over an hour as he walked back and forth...and back and forth. Half his thoughts were just trying to come up with lies so he wouldn't have to explain his history with Jett to James...but the other half just rolled it's eyes and said, "C'mon. We both know that aint going to work."

With a sigh, Carlos knew that side was right.

But it didn't stop his lying side from scrambling around in fear when the dorm room door opened, revealing a wet haired and tired James.

"Hey." Carlos said, attempting a smile. But his stomach churned with nerves. Was James going to break up with him? Would he ever forgive him? Carlos couldn't imagine a life without James's love. It would just...be a life not worth living.

But James dumped his duffel bag and gear on the floor and walked over to Carlos, pulling him in for a tight hug, his voice mumbling a tired, "Hey."

Taking a moment to enjoy the embrace, Carlos breathed in deep. Despite the lingering sweat and the tangy soap smell from his shower in the locker room, he could still smell James underneath it all. The scent of cinnamon and sex.

"How was practice?" Carlos mumbled against James's shirt, refusing to let go.

A small chuckle escaped James's lips, and Carlos could feel it vibrate in his ear. Lifting a hand, James ran his fingers through Carlos's dark locks. "It was fine. Kendall didn't quit, but you could tell he was trying his damndest not to deck Hawk the entire time."

Carlos nodded as James thought back to practice less than a half an hour ago. Hawk's surprise, and eventual anger at seeing Kendall skate out onto the rink had been priceless...as well as confirm what James had been thinking. He just couldn't hold back a smirk when he saw the elder man swear, kick the bench, then shout at them to do drills for the next hour.

"Thanks for giving me the heads up." James whispered down at Carlos as he leaned forward to place a small kiss on the boy's head.

Carlos looked up and nodded again, "We both know Kendall would have regretted it."

James searched Carlos's face for a moment, then said, "Let's go for a walk."

Surprised, Carlos said, "Now? But-"

"Get your coat." James said as he let go of Carlos to grab his own jacket.

Deciding it would be best to obey rather than question it, Carlos walked out of the room and into his bedroom.

_Just keep calm. It's going to be fine. Just relax,_ Carlos thought as he grabbed his black North Face fleece.

"You ready?" James asked suddenly from the doorway. Carlos turned, and saw his love holding out a hand towards him.

Swallowing once more, Carlos nodded, and took it.

Outside, winter was starting to make itself known. The days were getting shorter, but it wasn't time yet for sunset, though the sky was now just starting it slow fade into a dusty orange.

The two walked silently down the path leading away from the school. It was used as a track road for runners, as it looped around the campus. But at some points, there were off trails that led into the woods, such as where James and Carlos were heading.

"Let's sit here." James said when they came to a small, old gazebo slightly hidden amongst the trees. Both boys had in the past made good use of it's hidden location for their own pleasures, and happy memories were etched into the the wooden structure.

Carlos just nodded silently and followed James, stepping into the old structure with him. At the far end of the gazebo was a bench. James walked over to it and began wiping away the dirt and pines from the forest, before sitting down.

Carlos just stood, staring at him.

"Aren't you going to sit?" James asked with a quirked eyebrow.

A million questions surged through Carlos's mind, but he just swallowed them down and slowly sat next to James.

He couldn't meet his lover's eyes. He didn't dare. If he turned and for a moment didn't see love reflected back at him, he didn't know what he would do.

"Carlos..." James started, and Carlos just clenched his fists hidden in his pockets, "I-I don't know where to begin."

"M-m-me n-neither." Carlos stuttered out, closing his eyes in frustration at his trembling voice. Suddenly he felt an arm snake its way around his back, and he was pulled towards James firm body.

"What's wrong?" James whispered to Carlos.

_How can you even ask me that?_ Carlos thought frantically, but instead he whispered out, "I'm scared."

"Of what?" James said, slight amusement in his voice.

Taking a chance, Carlos looked up at James, who was looking at him with confusion...but not hatred. Carlos had to take that as a good sign.

"T-that you're going to break up with me."

Sighing, James said, "Did you cheat on me with Jett?"

"No!" Carlos exclaimed, his eyes pleading with James to believe him.

"Did...do you want to be with Jett-?"

"NO!" Carlos exclaimed again, feeling tears prick in his eyes.

James squeezed him tighter against his body, relief stretching across his chest, and whispered, "Then why would you be scared that I'd break up with you?"

"B-because of the other night. Because I snuck out like that." Carlos swallowed before continuing, "Because there are things that I haven't told you."

"So there's some things you haven't told me." James repeated, "Why would that make me want to break up with you?"

Holding back tears, Carlos whispered, "You're not going to like them." He closed his eyes, "And-and my life is already to messed up and I'm already such a hassle-"

James cut Carlos off with a, "Don't you ever say that about yourself." His voice was deep and serious. Carlos opened his eyes just as James reached up a hand to cup Carlos's face, "You mean more to me than anything else in the world. I will never leave you Carlos. Never." And he wouldn't. Not for so long as Carlos wanted him to stay.

Both boys knew that there were a million and more ways that their relationship couldn't work. They were too young. They lived to far apart. They were both guys, different races, different personalities.

But they loved. They loved so much, and so fiercely...that maybe...just maybe...everything else wouldn't matter.

"I never want you to go." Carlos answered back.

Nodding, James gave Carlos a chaste kiss. When he pulled back he said, "Okay. Then tell me."

* * *

><p>The soft strands from Katy Perry's <em>Teenage Dream<em> began coming out of Blaine's phone, interrupting the prefect's place in the book he was reading. Spread out on his bed were an array of text books, note cards, note books and a large MAC computer he was using to write out his essay.

Startled, he began hastily moving his books and papers aside to find his phone, knowing it was buried under the pile of work.

After a few moments he finally grabbed it, quickly answering, "Hello?"

A moments pause, then, "Hey."

Blaine leaned against the pillows on his bed, "Hey. Look, I'm sorry about earlier-"

But Kurt cut him off, "No. Don't be. I'm sorry." He sighed, "You were right."

Blaine shook his head, "Whether I'm right or not I didn't handle the situation very well-"

Again Kurt cut him off with a soft chuckle, saying, "Blaine honey. I'm trying to apologize and you're making it very hard for me."

A small smile made its way onto Blaine's lips as he replied, "Don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for."

Blaine could hear Kurt's sigh before he said, "Yes. I do. I shouldn't have reacted like that. And you were right. My own issues from McKinley were coming out at that point."

Shifting the phone Blaine shot back, "Kurt I don't blame you at all. You and I both know what its like to deal with that kind of misery." And it was true. Both he and Kurt left their respective schools and it's horrid issues with bullying and teasing because of their sexuality. But with Kurt, his life had been threatened. And that had been the crack that broke the damn of fears Kurt had been holding back for so long.

But there was something in the way that Kurt said, "I know baby. But with Logan..." Then he trailed off.

"But what?"

Another sigh, then, "I'll explain when I see you tomorrow. I want to run some things by you that my dad and I were talking about. I'm...I'm not sure what to think of them."

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked. As much as he cared about Logan, Kurt was his first and foremost priority.

"Yes." Kurt said, and Blaine could hear the smile in his voice, "You're so sweet."

Blaine smiled as well as he replied, "You know it." He paused to look at his bedside clock, "It's not that late. I don't mind heading out and picking you up and bringing you back to Dalton from your dads."

"Thanks honey," Kurt answered, "But I think I'm going to crash here tonight. I'll head back first thing."

A little disappointed, but understanding, Blaine answered, "Okay. I miss you."

"Miss you too."

* * *

><p>"Jett was the first person I got to know when I was living at Burton." Carlos explained, looking down at his hands. James sat beside him, a comforting hand on the small of his back.<p>

"He was so smart and...sure of himself." He gave a small snort, "Nothing like me. I was so scared and weak..." But James cut off his self deprecating rant with a soft, "Shh baby." Then he rubbed his back some more.

Swallowing, Carlos continued, "Hawk told Jett to show me around and keep me company. He liked how high profile my dad is, and wanted him on his good side."

"That must have been interesting." James commented dryly.

Carlos turned to him and said, "It actually wasn't so bad." At Jame's incredulous look, Carlos broke out a small grin and said, "Believe me." Then in a teasingly sarcastic tone, he continued, "I know it's hard to believe that someone can put on an arrogant and rude personality for all the world to see but is actually a good guy underneath it...but believe it or not, it's true." When he finished James had rolled his eyes and given Carlos a light shove, muttering, "Ass."

Carlos gave him a light shove back, then slid closer to his boyfriend, snuggling up to him. James responded by slinging his arm around Carlos's shoulders.

"So you and Jett became buddies. When does the bad stuff start happening."

Carlos tensed, "You sure you want to hear it?"

"Yes." James said without hesitating.

Sighing, Carlos continued...

* * *

><p><em>Flashback to Freshman Year...<em>

"I don't know why you want to keep meeting here in the middle of the woods." Carlos said as he walked up to Jett who was leaning back against the large Oak Tree they dubbed the Linden Tree. It was past midnight, and Carlos's hand was trembling as it held the flashlight. "We can see the same stars in the commons."

"Because it's private." Jett answered with a shrug as he knelt down and started rolling out their usual picnic blanket. Star gazing was mutual past time they both enjoyed. The stillness of the night mixed with the break of pressures they faced during the day; they could relax and unwind and just...be.

Carlos rolled his eyes at Jeet's response, but still followed his friends actions as they laid on the blanket, looking up at the night sky.

"Doesn't feel like I'm a million miles away from home when I look up at the sky." Carlos commented. "All those stars. Might as well be in my own back yard."

"Dalton's your home now." Jett said, "And it's not so bad."

Flushing, Carlos answered, "No. I guess you're right." And he was right. Carlos couldn't help the small flash of heat that seared through his stomach. He had been trying to squelch it for a while, knowing that if his father ever found out he was into guys it would be the end of him. But it was becoming more and more undeniable that he was beginning to have a small crush on his friend.

"I have some bad news." Jett said with a sigh.

As Carlos turned to him, Jett continued, "Hawk wants you to quit Warblers."

Blinking in surprise, Carlos exclaimed, "What?" He sat up, "Why?"

Jett sat up as well, scooting closer to the upset boy, "Because he thinks it's a distraction and stupid. He wants you to focus on school."

"Why would he care?" Carlos said, wrapping his arms around his legs.

Jett answered, "I guess he's been talking to your father-"

"My Dad?" Carlos exclaimed with a shudder.

"Hey. Chill. Shh." Jett said, reaching out a hand to rub it against Carlos's back. "Look it's not a big deal. It's just a stupid club."

But Carlos bit his lip nervously as he answered, "But...but I'm making a lot of friends there."

"All Fletchers." Jett replied dryly. "And I think that James kid is into you."

Heat rose up into Carlos's cheeks at those words. "James?" Carlos squeaked, "James Diamond?" He shook his head. No way would the Adonis of Dalton ever be into a pipsqueak like him.

Huffing, Jett sneered, "He's always checking you out." Jett paused for a moment before continuing, "I don't like it."

"Why would you care?" Carlos asked.

Jett stared at him for a moment, then quickly leaned forward and kissed him.

* * *

><p><em>Present<em>

"He kissed you?" James exclaimed, standing and running his hands through his hair, "That sonofabitch. I'm going to kill him-"

"James!" Carlos yelled, jumping up to grab James's hands, "James please. It was once and not even that long or-"

"Good?" James asked, looking down at Carlos, his eyes blazing with anger.

But Carlos only let out a sigh and said, "Can I please finish?" He then quickly added, "I don't have to keep going...you know. We can just head back to the dorm-"

Yet James cut Carlos off again with a shake of his head, "No. I'm sorry." He took a deep breath, trying to will the mental image of Carlos and Jett kissing out of his head.

* * *

><p><em>Freshman Year...<em>

"Well. Well." A new voice echoed through the forest, "I sure was hoping I wouldn't find this."

Carlos and Jett quickly pulled apart when they heard the voice. Both turned and saw Hawk walking towards them, a few seniors following his wake. Carlos didn't recognize them, but Jett did.

"H-Hey guys-" Jett began, standing up quickly when he saw them heading his way, with Carlos following. But Hawk cut him off.

"Jett. Head on back to Burton."

"But-" Jett began.

"Now." Hawk said firmly, arriving to stand in front of the two boys.

Jett hesitated, looking at Carlos, then back at Hawk. With a heavy sigh he nodded and began walking down the path.

Hawk didn't watch him leave, instead his eyes were trained on Carlos, who was standing there nervously wringing his hands together.

When Jett's footsteps began fading, Hawk turned to one of the boys and said, "Make sure he stays at Burton."

Wordlessly, the boy nodded and took off after Jett.

Turning back to Carlos, the elder man smirked and said, "Well...seems like we have a bit of a problem here." He began a slow walk around Carlos, enjoying the boy shuddering under his gaze.

"Now I'm no mind reader, but I can imagine your father would not be to pleased to hear about this at all." Hawk continued, his voice taunting.

Panic surged through Carlos, the thought of his father finding this out. "P-please...please don't tell him." Carlos begged, then winced when Hawk laughed as he finished his stroll to stand in front of Carlos again.

"Whether your father finds out or not is entirely up to you." Hawk finished as Carlos looked up to him with trembling eyes. "If you do what I say, whenever I say it." Placing a hand on the boy, Hawk continued, "You are a Burton. And for as long as you are one, you will follow my commands."

Something flickered in Carlos's eyes, but he nodded and remained silent.

"I'm not sure I entirely trust you on this Carlos." Hawk said, turning the boy around and beginning to walk down a path with him, "I need to show you what happens when you don't listen to me. And that you can get so much more out of what I'm teaching you, if you just listen."

Carlos said nothing, his stomach twisting with every word Hawk uttered.

After a few more steps Hawk stopped walking beside him. Carlos looked up and saw an old well a few feet in front of them. Carlos could barely make out its full shape in the darkness, but he knew it was covered in moss and the stones were worn down by the weather.

Confused, Carlos looked up at Hawk who placed both his hands on his shoulders. "You need to trust me Carlos. You need to trust that what I am doing is best for you."

"Wh-" Carlos began, but Hawk shook his head and led him closer to the well. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see the other boys had followed them.

"Carlos." Hawk said, getting the boys attention back onto him, "If I ever catch you doing what I saw you doing earlier...let's just say you're punishment is going to be a lot worse than this."

They were up to the well now, and as Carlos looked down all he could see was bottomless darkness...ready to swallow anyone or anything whole.

"Please." Carlos whispered, fear causing tears to pool in his eyes. He felt Hawk walk away from him, and when he turned back, he saw the other boys advancing, sadistic smirks and devious intent in their eyes.

* * *

><p>Carlos had fallen silent. He could feel James, tense but vibrating with fury, beside him.<p>

"How long?" James asked, his words hoarse with emotion.

Carlos struggled to answer, and James asked again. "How long did they leave you in that well?"

Eventually Carlos answered, "All night."

James stood and began to pace, but Carlos didn't watch. He was waiting for it. The rant. The anger. The swears. The-

A sharp and loud thud that nearly caused the whole gazebo to shake brought Carlos's attention onto the other boy. James had punched one of the pillars holding up the ceiling. His back was to Carlos, but the Latino could see the heavy breathing and slight trembling in his shoulders.

"James." Carlos breathed as he stood and rushed over to the boy. He wrapped his hands around James's fist and brought it down to inspect the damage.

Nothing looked broken, but the skin around his knuckles were starting to bleed and bruise.

"Don't." Carlos said, unable to look at his lover in the eye. "You just started hockey season. You don't want to be unable to play-"

"Stop." James said.

Carlos flinched then stayed still, holding his breath. Soon he felt James use his good hand to place a knuckle under his chin, and slowly lift up his face so their eyes were meeting. Carlos could see the anger, the pain, the regret. It tore at his heart in so many ways.

"I'm sorry." Carlos began but James shook his head.

"Don't. Don't ever say that to me. Not because of this." James whispered. "He'll pay. I swear he'll pay for this. I'll tear his heart out-"

"James no-" Carlos cut him off, but James continued on, his voice taking on an edge of possessiveness and grit that Carlos had never heard before.

"No one hurts you Carlos." James said, yanking his hands way, but only to replace one hand Carlos's shoulder and the other to run through the shorter boy's hair. Both grips were desperately tight, but Carlos felt no pain, for fear for this boy. "No one touches you." James finished his eyes all over the boy who he loved beyond what he could possibly comprehend.

"James." Carlos breathed, trying to get a grip on this situation, "Please. I don't want to stir up trouble. This happened years ago. He-"

"He did the same thing to Logan. And who knows who else? He doesn't run this school Carlos. He isn't in charge." James shot back, trying to control his raging emotions. He was angry, furious, at Hawk...but that didn't mean he needed to take that anger out on his love.

"I know...but what can we do about it? We have no more control or power than anyone else." Carlos said back, keeping his voice as calm as possible.

James said nothing for a moment, instead he ran his hand through Carlos's hair again and took a deep breath to calm himself. After a few more moments he whispered, "Why didn't you ever tell me this?"

Carlos made a small unsure noise, then eventually answered, "Because...because I was scared. When we first started dating I wasn't sure if you would believe me. Then...then everything came out with my father and I just...I just wanted to put it behind me." Carlos swallowed at emotion's rose up in his throat, "I wanted to focus on you...and me...not...that."

James pulled Carlos close to him, hugging him tight and running his hand all over the boys back and neck. "I'm sorry Carlos. I'm so...so sorry."

"It's okay." Carlos whispered, reveling in James's touch. He eventually pulled back and took the boys damaged hand. "Can we please go back to the dorms? I really want to put ice on this."

"In a moment." James answered, "I have one more question."

Nodding, Carlos had an idea of what it could be.

"What about Dak?"

Carlos looked down for a moment, trying to figure what would be the best way to answer, and finally said, "After that happened, I left for Fletcher as soon as I could. A spot opened up in the dorms, and I took it right away." He looked back up at James, "Hawk said that as long as I was a Burton I had to answer to him right? At Fletcher...I was safe. From him at least." He paused, then, "Dak...He tried to talk to me again after that. To find out what happened. But...I didn't...I couldn't." Carlos sighed, his words getting jumbled as he tried to explain.

"I didn't blame him...but I knew we could never be together. He was still at Burton. And as long as he was there, Hawk would never let us have any kind of peace." He sighed, "I let him go to keep him safe. He found out eventually...Hawk wanted people to know. For me to be an example. But by then it was too late for him and I."

"Do..." James began to ask hesitantly, "Do you still have feelings for him?"

Carlos immediately shook his head, "No. Even then...it was just a stupid little crush." He took James's other hand in his and with his voice full of honesty, "I would never...ever...in a million years want to give up even a portion of what we have for anyone else."

Relief hit James hard, but it didn't override the residual emotions of hurt and anger. Not at Carlos, never at him, but at Hawk. The man who, one day, would pay dearly for what he has done.

Instead, James let out a breath and slid his good hand around Carlos's neck, pulling him in for a short, sweet kiss.

He could feel Carlos relax under him, and when he pulled away the shorter boy was giving him a faint smile.

"Let's go back and we can ice my hand." James said as he watched Carlos nod. Before they moved, James continued, "But thank you...for telling me."

"Welcome." Carlos whispered, and they left the Gazebo together.

* * *

><p>Kendall flopped onto his bed with a sigh, unable to keep the smile on his face from stretching to far. He had just spent the last odd amount of hours with Logan, and was falling even more in love with the boy.<p>

The way he talked. How he smiled. The beyond adorable laugh that Kendall always considered a success when he was able to coax one out. Each moment was more perfect than the last.

Kendall sat up, pulling his knees to his chest and turned to the dorm room window. The sun was setting, early now with the oncoming cold weather, and his mind was whirling with ideas. Already Kendall was starting to formulate the perfect way to ask Logan out. The plan was slowly coming together, but he would need some time and some help.

A knocking on his door interrupted his thoughts and he jumped off the bed. A part of him hopped it was Logan, who had just left his room only a few minutes ago. Maybe he had come back? Naked?

Kendall shook his head and pushed those thoughts aside. As much as he wanted to be with the boy, he should really focus on first making him his boyfriend before trying to get him into bed.

Opening the door revealed someone Kendall was not who was expecting.

"James?" Kendall said, uncertain eyes falling onto his prima donna friend.

The brunette didn't answer, just walked into the dorm room and turned to face his friend. A deep from etched across his handsome features, and his hands were jammed into his jacket pockets, as tense as the rest of his body.

When Kendall shut the door, he asked, "Don't tell me you broke up with Carols?" He knew James and Carlos were planning on...talking...today. But he didn't think it would end with a break up. At least, he hopped not.

Annoyance, although familiar but never welcomed, filtered across James's face, he said, "Of course not. Don't be stupid."

Kendall rolled his eyes, but he could tell. Something wasn't right. There was something...off...

"Okay. Spill. What's up?" Kendall said, and knew James would. Both boys knew the extent of their friendship. They were close, but only because they were both so absolutely honest with each other. Neither hesitated in telling the other the truth, no matter how hard, and that basis of their friendship was what made it so strong. They dealt with each others annoyances, but silently treasured what made them friends in the first place.

Now James was here, needing honest answers, and he knew only Kendall could give them to him.

"What I'm going to tell you doesn't leave this room until it's time...okay?" James said, his voice serious.

And though Kendall was confused, he could tell in James's tense shoulders, his deep frown, residual anger heavy in his eyes, that yes...this was something big.

"Got it." Kendall answered.

James took a moment, then, "You want revenge against Hawk."

Kendall froze, then nodded.

"I'm in."

Blinking, Kendall began, "Wha-why-?"

James's leg shot out and hooked around the wooden chair that belonged to Kendall's desk. He pulled it out, then with his foot pushed it towards Kendall. The blond caught it with his hands, but kept his eyes on his friend.

"Take a seat. It's a long story. Then you and I...we have some planning to do."

* * *

><p><strong>xoxo BA<strong>


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